Jefferson Township near Avella in Washington County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Meadowcroft Rockshelter

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, February 20, 2011

1. Meadowcroft Rockshelter Marker

Inscription. A deeply stratified archaeological site, its deposits span nearly 16,000 years. Discovered in 1973 by Albert Miller and excavated by University of Pittsburgh archaeologists. Meadowcroft revealed North America's earliest known evidence of human presence and the the New World's longest sequence of human occupation. All of eastern North America's major cultural stages appear in its remarkably complete archaeological record.

Erected 1999 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Natural Features. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1973.

Location. 40° 17.176′ N, 80° 29.521′ W. Marker is near Avella, Pennsylvania, in Washington County. It is in Jefferson Township. It is on Meadowcroft Road close to Miller Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Meadowcroft Rd, Avella PA 15312, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in Greater Pittsburgh.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pine Bank Covered Bridge (approx. 0.2 miles away); Avella War Memorial (approx. 1.9 miles away); Independence Community Honor Roll (approx. 2.4 miles away); Doddridge's Fort (approx. 2.8 miles away); Tollgate House (approx. 2.8 miles away in West Virginia); Drovers Inn (approx. 3.4 miles away in West Virginia); Ralston Thresher (approx. 4½ miles away); Grimes Golden Apple (approx. 4½ miles away in West Virginia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Avella.

Also see . . .
1. Meadowcroft Rockshelter - Behind the Marker. ExplorePAHistory.com (Submitted on July 13, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

2. Heinz History Center - Meadowcroft.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, May 5, 2023

2. Meadowcroft Rockshelter Marker

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker is located at the far left.

This National Historic Landmark, located in Avella, Washington County, Pa., features a massive, 16,000-year-old rock overhang used by our earliest ancestors for shelter. (Submitted on January 18, 2012, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, February 20, 2011

3. Meadowcroft Rockshelter & Marker

PHMC Declares Meadowcroft Rockshelter A Commonwealth Treasure Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, May 5, 2023

4. PHMC Declares Meadowcroft Rockshelter A Commonwealth Treasure Marker

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, February 20, 2011

5. PHMC Declares Meadowcroft Rockshelter A Commonwealth Treasure Marker

Meadowcroft Rockshelter Initial Excavation image. Click for full size.

1973

6. Meadowcroft Rockshelter Initial Excavation

Archeologists dug the initial excavation trench at Meadowcroft Rockshelter, seen in this photograph from the early 1970s, to assess the nature of soils and the cultural deposits located both inside and outside the rockshelter's roofline. Dr. J. M. Adovasio, Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute.

Miller lanceolate speartip and other artifacts from the Meadowcroft Rockshelter image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Unknown

7. Miller lanceolate speartip and other artifacts from the Meadowcroft Rockshelter

The Miller lanceolate speartip, named in honor of Albert Miller, who discovered the Meadowcroft Rockshelter site, was found in a soil layer that dates to the period 17,000-9,000 BC. Unlike many Clovis-style spearpoints, the Miller example is not fluted. Its careful flaking, however, exhibits a high degree of craftsmanship. The point's discovery demonstrates that early Paleo-Indians made both fluted and unfluted points. Dr. J. M. Adovasio, Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,815 times since then and 102 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 20, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on May 7, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 3. submitted on February 20, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on May 7, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 5. submitted on February 20, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 6, 7. submitted on July 28, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.