DURYEA — The excavating done at The Conrail Site off Coxton Road tells the Frances Dorrance Chapter of Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology the location used to serve as a “living space.” The former occupants were gracious enough to leave behind artifacts to tell their stories, but they didn’t leave any house rules — so the chapter decided to throw a party.
The chapter held an open house on Aug. 6 to share its findings and methodology with the public. On the outskirts of the site, members served food and displayed cases full of artifacts unearthed by the chapter, like buttons, 18th century Spanish coins, and the sharpened tips of projectile weapons. After meeting members and browsing artifacts, visitors were also permitted to shadow volunteers and get hands-on with local history.
Under the weather tent that protects the site, volunteers worked to uncover more artifacts to add to the collection. Site Supervisor Al Pesotine is often the only professional archaeologist at the chapter’s weekly digs and said volunteers are an integral part of the Frances Dorrance Chapter.
Pesotine, who studied at Wilkes University and joined Frances Dorrance Chapter in the early 1990s, said he and his team of volunteers take their time to teach new members the correct methods for digging and sifting without damaging materials. He said everything on-site is done under guidelines set forth by the State Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
“You don’t have to be a professional; you can be taught these things very simply, Pesotine said. “A lot of people come out and they’re hesitant about participating because they’re afraid to touch anything, so we have to make them feel comfortable. ‘Relax, everything’s going to be fine. There’s someone with you to show you.’”
Pesotine said the chapter has attracted 12 to 14 new volunteers this year through social media—every Sunday they post pictures of the day’s discoveries to the group’s Facebook page (@HistoryNEPA) — and newcomers are always welcome, even if every dig day isn’t promoted as an open house.
The group was joined by Baltimore resident Nicholas Sala at its Open House.
“My uncle’s actually an archaeologist and volunteers at the site all the time,” said Sala, who was in the area visiting family. “He brought me out here today to show me what he does on the weekends.”
Sala said he likes history, and was excited to get involved after members showed him what to look for when sifting through the buckets of soil hauled out of the site.
“They told me whatever looks interesting, throw it in the bucket,” Sala said. “When in doubt, throw it in the bucket.”
On his third sift, Sala found pieces of burnt pottery — his first contribution to the Frances Dorrance Chapter.
Another volunteer, West Pittston resident Michelle Salerno, said her first find was a net sinker found during an excavation on nearby Scovell Island. Salerno said she sporadically attended digs for years with her brother, Angelo, but this winter she joined the chapter full-time.
“If they’re thinking about it, check and do it, absolutely do it,” Salerno said. “You’re coming into it not really knowing what to do, but with the history and everything, it’s amazing, and it’s rewarding when you find something. When somebody pulls something out of here, we’re all like, ‘Oh my God, look at that,’ and we’re all taking pictures and everything.”
Pesotine said the area’s Frances Dorrance Chapter is currently excavating what used to be farmland called The Phillips Estate, so the first 30 cm of soil is disturbed. Under that 30 cm, Pesotine said he expects to find artifacts from as far back as 8,000 BC.
“People do not know the history that’s here in our area,” Pesotine said. “These dates are carbon dates, these are not fictitious dates. I tell people ‘I went back to 8,000 BC approximately.’ They say, ‘Get out of here, 8,000, there was nobody here.’ They’re here. We have evidence in tools and evidence in the carbon dating.”
If uncovering items from before the common era sounds intriguing, the Frances Dorrance Chapter meets 7 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at Duryea Borough Building, 315 Main St., Duryea. The chapter will also hold another open house at The Conrail Site in October. For more information, visit Facebook.com/HistoryNEPA.
