ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS:
Archaeological work at this site involves three distinct phases. First the various stone walls, field borders, old roads and fence lines in the battlefield area were relocated during the Winter when the absence of leaves made them easier to see. They were mapped using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and incorporated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) that electronically records and displays the locations of many kinds of cultural and natural features on the Appalachian Trail as layered maps. The second phase of work involved remote sensing technology.
Finally, the excavations now in progress throughout the summer of 2002 are intended to identify the source of several “hotspots” identified through earlier subsurface testing and hopefully relocate the various features of the Wise farm, particularly the house foundation and well. The excavations are being conducted by a crew that pairs experienced, professional archaeologists, with inexperienced Trail volunteers with an interest in the buried past.
Ultimately, there are two important goals for this project. One is the development of a solid management plan for the future of this portion of the Appalachian Trail that takes into account the complicated relationship among the Trail’s historic, scenic, natural and recreational values, and balances the public interpretation of it’s remarkable historic legacy with the long-term protection of that legacy. This project is also training a cadre of dedicated Trail volunteers in the identification, monitoring and care of historic resources; skills they will take with them to help protect and manage the past in other reaches of the Appalachian Trail. To follow along with our on-line journal, just click the link for each weekend of fieldwork. As we complete a weekend, we’ll add information and images, so come back and visit often for updates!