Bedford Village Archeological Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Site 36BD90
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Reconstructed Euro-American building on the site
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | On the grounds of Bedford Village in Bedford Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 4.75 acres (1.92 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003102 |
| Added to NRHP | June 4, 1984 |
The Bedford Village Archeological Site (also known as 36BD90) is an important archaeological site in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It's located north of the town of Bedford. Long ago, a village of the Monongahela culture stood here.
Today, this site is home to Old Bedford Village. This is an open-air museum with many old buildings. These buildings were moved here from nearby towns like Bedford, Everett, and Rainsburg.
Contents
The Ancient Village
The Monongahela village at this site had round houses. These houses were surrounded by a strong stockade, which is a fence made of tall wooden posts. This was a common way for these villages to be built.
The village was placed on the highest part of a terrace. This terrace was next to the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. It was built above the wet, marshy areas near the river. This spot was a bit unusual for the Monongahela people. They usually built their villages in higher, drier places for safety.
The houses in this village were similar to those in other Monongahela settlements. One house found here was about 7 meters (23 feet) wide. This size matches houses found in many other Monongahela villages.
Archaeologists believe this village was lived in for a short time. Maybe it was used for only one or two generations. This likely happened sometime between the years 1250 and 1600.
Later History of the Site
After Europeans settled in the area, the thick hardwood forest was cleared. The land was then used for farming for many years.
Farming stopped at the site in the mid-1970s. At that time, the Bedford County Redevelopment Authority received a special grant. This money was used to build a living history museum on the land. This museum, called Old Bedford Village, was built in 1975 and 1976.
Digging Up the Past
Before Old Bedford Village was created, people in the area knew the site had old artifacts. But no one really paid much attention to its archaeological importance. This changed after the museum was built.
In 1977, tests were done on the northern part of the site. These tests showed signs of the Monongahela village. They also found evidence of people living there even earlier. This older evidence dates back to the Late Archaic period.
In the summers of 1979 and 1980, Pennsylvania State University did more digging. They excavated many different spots within Old Bedford Village. These digs uncovered trenches from the stockade that surrounded much of the village.
It is thought that building Old Bedford Village greatly affected the site. Many buildings and utility lines were put right on top of the old village. A gravel road also now crosses the area. Also, the heavy machines used for building might have buried middens (ancient trash heaps) at the edge of the village terrace.
However, about three-quarters of the site was not damaged by the construction. It is also unlikely that any more areas will be affected by the museum in the future.
Why This Site is Important
The Bedford Village Site shows a unique mix of different time periods in Native American history. It is one of the most eastern Monongahela sites ever found. This suggests it might show a link between the Monongahela people and other groups in central Pennsylvania.
The site's location in a floodplain is also interesting. Some experts believe it shows evidence of climate change in North America. They suggest that around the year 1500, the weather got colder. This might have made the Monongahela people leave their homes on hilltops. They may have moved to warmer river valleys instead.
The site also raises questions about influence from other cultures. Artifacts from the Shenks Ferry culture of eastern Pennsylvania have also been found here. While there isn't a lot of this evidence, it suggests the Shenks Ferry people might have lived here for a short time. This would have been after the Monongahela people left. One large Shenks Ferry midden was even found on top of the Monongahela stockade.
Because of the wide variety of artifacts and how well they were preserved, the Bedford Village site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
