Photo By Mark Herlihy | Christine Nestleroth, battlefield archaeologist, sifts material from a shovel test pit...... read more read more
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – A team of archaeologists from AECOM recently finished a survey at the former Air Force Research Laboratory library here, in preparation for the construction of a new communications building.
The survey was required due to the site’s proximity to Minute Man National Historical Park and the location of the Revolutionary War battle known as Parker’s Revenge.
“Hanscom Air Force Base is federal property, so the National Historic Preservation Act requires us to identify and preserve effects from potential archaeological sites,” said Scott Sheehan, 66th Civil Engineering Division environmental engineer. “The AFRL library was built in 1961 before the enactment of the NHPA and there was no requirement at that time to look for or preserve historical information.”
The dig did not uncover any new or historically significant artifacts.
Testing of the site indicated disturbance from the construction of the former library and its demolition in 2020. The testing process included shovel pit tests and screening the material through a one-quarter inch screen.
A metal detection survey was attempted, but shallow utility lines made pinpointing specific targets unreliable.
Previous archaeological surveys on the base have uncovered artifacts such as musket balls, a musket ball mold and a Fascine knife, which are now on display at the Revolutionary War exhibit at Minute Man National Historical Park.
The survey area is near the location of Parker’s Revenge, which took place on the afternoon of April 19, 1775, the first day of the Revolutionary War. After their defeat on Lexington Green, Capt. John Parker and his militia ambushed British soldiers retreating from Concord to Boston.
Officials noted that metal detecting is illegal on federal property, and all archaeological remains, known or unknown, are protected by federal law.
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2024 13:21 |
| Story ID: | 483861 |
| Location: | HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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