Meadowcroft Rockshelter
Also known as: 36wh297
Why it's listed
Meadowcroft Rockshelter is an archaeological site in Avella, Washington County, Pennsylvania, sheltered by an overhang of Morgantown-Connellsville sandstone on the north bank of Cross Creek. The rockshelter's ceiling has been eroding and migrating upward and cliffward over time, forming a re-entrant above a softer underlying shale. Excavations of its deposits, carried out in 1973 and 1974, isolated eleven distinct stratigraphic units. These layers record occupation spanning about 15,000 years, beginning around 13,000 B.C. with people who made prismatic blades, unifacial scrapers, bifaces and finely fluted knives. The site served as a base for hunting, collecting and food processing, drawing on the nearby Cross Creek Valley and uplands. Its sequence contains deposits from every major cultural period recognized in northeastern North America. Radiocarbon dating makes it the oldest well-dated site in eastern North America and one of the longest stratified occupation sequences in the Americas.
Significance in brief: The site contains eleven well-defined stratigraphic units spanning about 15,000 years of intermittent occupation, representing all of the major cultural stages recognized in northeastern North America. Its early Paleo-Indian occupations are dated by radiocarbon, and the nomination argues it is the oldest well-dated site in eastern North America and one of the longest stratified occupational sequences in the Western Hemisphere's northern hemisphere.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002480, listed November 21, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Avella, Avella |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | November 21, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002480 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Areas of significance | Prehistoric |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated April 5, 2005 |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.28639, -80.49111 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002480.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1896118
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.