Meadowcroft Rockshelter Artifacts
The Meadowcroft Rockshelter represents what is presently the oldest evidence of a human presence in North America. Carbon 14 dating has shown evidence of people using this campsite 16,000 years ago.

The most common cultural features encountered by archaeologists at Meadowcroft Rockshelter are fire pits and large burned areas of fire floors, refuse and storage pits, concentrations of stone artifacts, ceramics and bone that suggest the presence of specialized work areas, and roasting pits.

The site has yielded the largest collection of flora and fauna materials ever recovered from a location in eastern North America.


The Meadowcroft Rockshelter excavation produced:

  • Artifacts (objects made or modified by people) of stone, animal bone, and wood.
  • Animal remains representing 149 species.
  • Plant remains including seeds, fruits, pollen, wood, and charcoal.
While none of this material is currently available for public viewing, the museum staff is working to develop a future exhibition which will include objects from the site.



The site of Meadowcroft Rockshelter in 1973 before excavation took place.




Awls made from the bones of white-tailed deer and wild turkey were found at the rockshelter. This prehistoric tool was used to perforate hides or skins as well as to sew rims on plaited baskets. A bone fishhook, bone and wood snare triggers and several bone hide defleshers were found at the archaeological site, as were pieces of bone bead stock and a drilled bone disc or button.




This burned, carbonized basket was recovered during the archaeological excavations at Meadowcroft Rocksheler. The baskets seem to have been manufactured of cut birch-like bark, woven in a simple plaiting manner and stitched around a reinforcement rod at the rim with cordage.




Thirty-three specimens of corn (including 18 cobs) were recovered. The earliest corn specimen from Meadowcroft is a small carbonized cob of what appears to be a 16-row popcorn which is about 2,300 years old.




Lithic (flaked stone) artifacts found during excavations indicate that the maintenance, rejuvenation or resharpening of flaked stone projectile points and blades was undertaken during short-term, seasonal occupation of the site.




The Miller point, named for Meadowcroft Rockshelter discoverer Albert Miller, was made from local stone 12,000 years ago.