Recent Research in West Virginia
Click on the title to link to the article or an abstract
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WV Archeological Society Annual Meetings Abstracts
Often, the latest research is first reported at WVAS meetings. Here are links to recent meeting abstracts.
2002 Meeting 2003 Meeting 2004 Meeting 2005 Meeting 2006 Meeting

Contact and Protohistoric Sites

Under Construction
Material provided by Robert F. Maslowski, Archeologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (retired)
Drainage: All of West Virginia
Rare photographs
Date of work: Various

 Beginning of a set of images and possibly other material pertaining to Contact and Protohistoric period sites in WV.

Archeology of the Great Kanawha Navigation

Robert F. Maslowski, Archeologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (retired)
Drainage: Ohio and Kanawha
General overview paper
Date of work: July 2003

 Describes history of Army Corps of Engineers activity on the Kanawha River, and brief summary of results of excavations at sites impacted by recent improvements to three locks and dams. The cultural components at these sites included much of the prehistory and history of the Kanawha Valley from Late Paleo Indian to A. D. 1900. This paper discusses the data recovery results, preservation efforts and public archeology.

Romney Bridge Replacement, US 50 over the South Branch of the Potomac

PI: Jonathan Lothrop, GAI Consultants
For: WV Division of Highways
Hampshire County, Romney Distr.
Watershed: South Br. of the Potomac
Site identification study
Date of work: August 2003

Eight Feet Under: A Site Identification Study on the South Branch of the Potomac
Shovel testing on both banks for a bridge relocation and approach road. Testing on T1 on east bank relocated site 46 HM 63: showed flood disturbed lithics and ceramics in a thick near-surface layer of alluvium. Geomorphological trenching at the same location encountered an Archaic hearth 2.4m below surface in good context (buried A horizon). 14C date of 3550 ±80 (Beta-182329; charred material; 13C = -25.0 o/oo [est]). Will return for NR evaluation.

Big Creek High School Archaeological Site,
McDowell County

For: US Army Corps of Engineers
McDowell County
 Watershed: South Ohio, Tug Fork of the Big Sandy
Site evaluation study
Date of work: 2005

Documents and presentation on a disagreement between the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Council concerning a Late Woodland site at a new school construction site in War, WV.

The Corps does not believe the site is worth further work, but the Council believes the site holds promise for scientific investigation.

Recent vandalism at the Salt Rock Petroglyphs and "Prom Queen" Figure
Cabell County

Watershed: South Ohio, Guyandotte River
Incident report
Date of incident: 2005

There are probably few more significant petroglyphs in the East than Salt Rock. Vandalism was minimal to non-existant over the last 600 to 800 years, but someone finally got to it.