NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
A collaborative stewardship partnership between Defense Logistics Agency and the State Museum of Pennsylvania is ensuring the long-term preservation of thousands of newly validated indigenous artifacts recovered from the Defense Distribution Center, Susquehanna in New Cumberland.
The collection, which includes ancient pottery shards, arrowheads and stone tools, was recently verified during a comprehensive inventory and audit conducted the week of June 1. The items were originally recovered during a 1980s archaeological study on the upper installation field near the tank static display.
Following successful validation, the artifacts have been transferred to the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, establishing an ongoing partnership to protect the region's deep cultural history.
"As the new program manager, I wanted to show respect to local indigenous history and ensure we are good stewards of these artifacts," said Carl Weidner, cultural resources program manager for the Environmental Management Division at DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna.
Weidner initiated the audit by requesting that the State Museum complete a physical inventory and inspection of the installation's artifacts.
Following their original recovery in the 1980s, the artifacts were securely maintained on-site in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. A property evaluation in 2001 initiated a formal validation of their historical context, culminating in their systematic cataloging and transfer to the State Museum in 2007 to satisfy federal stewardship mandates.
"This process entailed cross-referencing items with original field records to verify excavation locations, evaluating them under National Register criteria to determine scientific value, and obtaining formal concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Office," Weidner said.
According to researchers, the collection holds significant scientific value for understanding early regional technology and community life. The items offer a glimpse into the daily lives of the region’s pre-contact inhabitants during the Middle and Late Woodland periods, dating back roughly 500 to 2,400 years.
"The collection includes thousands of items that show what daily life was like along the Susquehanna River before European contact," said David Burke, curator at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. "These items prove that long before Europeans arrived, local indigenous communities lived in permanent settlements, used advanced survival skills and traded heavily across the region."
Among the validated items are ceramic pottery shards decorated with geometric patterns. Burke noted these pieces show how early groups, such as the Clemson Island and Susquehannock peoples, cooked and stored food.
The collection also contains stone points and arrowheads crafted from local rocks, which allow researchers to trace shifts in hunting practices, weaponry, and regional trade routes over millennia. Other stone tools, including scrapers and axes, point to active woodworking, hide preparation and farming.
Because of the extreme age and fragility of the collection, specialized preservation is required to prevent rapid deterioration.
"The entire collection, including artifacts, field notes, maps and photographs, is housed in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission modern archaeological repository in Harrisburg," Burke said. "It is stored inside a secure, monitored facility with precise climate control to prevent degradation."
Burke explained that artifacts buried for centuries reach a delicate equilibrium with their environment. Once excavated and exposed to light and ambient air, fragile organic materials and stone tools can rapidly degrade.
"Controlled environmental conditions slow that decay process, ensuring these physical records remain preserved intact for future generations and research," Burke said.
Under a formal agreement, DLA retains legal ownership of the artifacts, while the State Museum of Pennsylvania manages their long-term care and curation to meet strict federal regulations.
While the partnership is designed to facilitate research and public education, public access to the collection is currently paused.
"Historically, collections in our repository have been made accessible to qualified researchers and made available for public display through loan agreements with qualified museums," Burke said.
In accordance with updated federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act regulations, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has currently paused public exhibition and researcher access for pre-contact Native American collections.
"We are actively engaged in formal consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations to determine appropriate ongoing stewardship, potential repatriation and future public presentation and research," Burke said. "Our priority is to ensure that any future display or study of these materials is done in full alignment with Tribal guidance and federal law."
The initiative highlights DLA’s ongoing compliance with federal cultural preservation mandates, including the National Historic Preservation Act and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
"This aligns with DLA's duty to protect America's heritage under federal laws. These legal frameworks require federal agencies to protect cultural property on their lands," Weidner said. "By funding, logging, and safely transferring these items instead of discarding them, DLA meets its stewardship duties and ensures that updating defense infrastructure does not erase local history."