Archeology Dig at Canticle Farms

Allegheny Valley Project (AVP) is back at Canticle Farm to continue its annual research into the history of the Allegheny River Valley.

The village currently being studied was built around 1200 AD by ancestors of today’s Seneca and other Iroquoian groups. Just this week, volunteer Bence Szita from Hungary uncovered a ceramic pipe fragment thought to be about 800 years old. Many other exciting archeological finds have been uncovered in past years at this dig site.

AVP is a nonprofit community archaeology program that brings people together for research and education in a hands-on environment. The organization works to protect and preserve the archaeological and historical heritage of the Allegheny River Valley and provides environmental education, advocacy, and preservation projects.

This season, the international Volunteers for Peace program returns after a three-year hiatus and welcomes volunteers from Germany, Taiwan, Mexico, Italy, Hungary, and The Netherlands. The international volunteers leave on July 22, but the project continues until July 29.

“Visitors and volunteers are welcome whenever they can see people working at the site, behind the Canticle Farm Market,” said Steven Paul Howard, director of AVP field work and field director at the Gault School of Archeological Research at Texas State University. “We are generally there from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but are sometimes there earlier or later.” They will be off-site this Saturday and Sunday.

For those interested in seeing it firsthand, there is signage for a self-guided tour starting at Canticle Farm Market, 3809 Old State Road, Allegany, that is perfect for families and home school groups. For more information, visit www.alleghenyvalleyproject.com.