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Local Paper Features Archaeological Dig
Archaeological excavation work on the Route 9 Project was recently the topic of a feature story in the Martinsburg Journal.
Matthew Bieniek, Journal staff writer, met with archaeologists at two active sites, the Mt. Pleasant site in the Bardane area and the Grant site in the Baker Heights area, during the first week of March. In his story, Bieniek reported on the significance of archaeological excavations and provided detailed information regarding the historical treasures that have been discovered at two specific sites.
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| State Highway Engineer Joe Deneault listens as members of the Route 9 archaeological dig explain techniques on how historic artifacts are discovered. |
Michael Baker Jr., Inc., a consultant hired by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH), began excavating the Mount Pleasant site in September 1999. Excavation of the second site, located near the Fairview Acres subdivision, began soon after.
"It is an absolute must that we thoroughly investigate all areas that are considered for proposed highways and road improvements to ensure that West Virginia's cultural resources are documented and guaranteed proper preservation," Joe Deneault, state highway engineer said.
According to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the adverse effects that a federally funded project may have on a historic property must be identified and considered through a series of steps.
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| Archaeologists discovered several coins while excavating the site; the earliest coin was dated 1787. |
One of the first steps is to excavate any path of the road that has been identified as a potential archaeological site, Deneault explained. The archaaeologists excavate these areas every 50 feet. Upon excavation, a small hole is dug in the soil, and any objects found in the soil are examined to determine if the property contains historically significant items.
"If the archaeologists discover a significant item or soil sample, they proceed by digging more holes for further examination to determine the historical value of the area," he said.
Deneault explained that once the historically significant areas are identified, WVDOH representatives work with the archaeologists to develop a plan to protect the sites and preserve the historically significant objects.
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| Members of the archaeological team sift through soil in search of historical artifacts. |
"It is so important for citizens to be aware of these historic sites and to understand the significance of the excavation project. Archaeological investigations, such as this, only teach us more about the history of where we live and the culture of West Virginia."
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