Finding Sites: An Analysis of Identification-Level Archaeological Surveys in Pennsylvania

Data synthesized from seven Pennsylvania counties and two decades of Phase I archaeological surveys documents the efforts CRM archaeologists have made to identify sites in a typical Middle Atlantic state. That synthesis has produced some concrete information regarding the efficacy of some widely employed methodologies and sampling strategies employed to find sites, and the environmental settings in which we look for them. It also suggests some additional research that could help to better evaluate the results of CRM investigations, and better conduct future reconnaissance surveys. This article argues for the regular synthesis and assessment of the decades of work CRM archaeologists have done since the National Historic Preservation Act was passed.