Washington and Lee University
Anna Pendley ('09) published her prize winning paper, "Geomorphology of the New Deal-Excavated Fort Hill Monogahela Village Site and Its Surroundings" in the Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology, Volume 24, 2008.
Located near Confluence, Pennsylvania, Fort Hill is a mesa-like landform that has for many years raised questions for archaeologists and geologists alike. Past studies and local traditions have claimed this plateau was leveled by some mysterious peoples, possibly the Celts or an unknown tribe of American Indians, such as the Mound Builders, while later observations suggest more geologic reasoning for its flatness.
Pendley uses a geomorphologic survey, including GPS data points and soil core surveys, to interpret not only the shape of this landform, but also why it was selected as a suitable village site for the Monongahela people.
