Harrisburg, PA — The PA State Historic Preservation Office will celebrate Archaeology Month with series with five webinars throughout October. Speakers Kimberly Max Brown, PhD, Emily Briggs, Debbie Miller, Dr. Ben Ford, and Dr. Matthew A. Kalos will highlight projects which explore Pennsylvania’s role in the American Revolution, life in the newly established commonwealth, and how current communities are engaging with their local history.
Archaeology combines scientific methods, research, and careful observation to understand the past through the objects and materials that are left behind, ranging from Native American stone tools and cooking hearths to ceramic plates and 19th century privies. This series will provide the public with a unique opportunity to gain new perspectives on Pennsylvania’s diverse past and the importance of safeguarding its cultural heritage.
Virtual Learn at Lunchtime: Archaeology is presented by the PA State Historic Preservation Office. These Archaeology Month sessions are a way to learn about current preservation efforts and the field of archaeology.
Registration is required to attend each free virtual program. Programs will begin at 12:15 p.m. and last approximate 20 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.
For more information or to register, visit the 2026 Archaeology Month website.
Presentation Schedule
Friday, October 2 | Kimberly Max Brown, PhD
Community Engaged Archaeology at Fort Mifflin: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Philadelphia’s Past
Described as “one of the nation’s most neglected, unknown and unvisited historic sites,” Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia has yet to experience a systematic plan of archaeological investigation, warranted by the importance of its history. Over the course of 2 years, the Archaeology at Fort Mifflin project explored and documented the Fort with geophysics, investigated with excavation and archaeobotany the food system of the fort, identified critical historic preservation needs, and built on existing public programming
About the Speaker
Kimberly “Max” Brown, PhD is Executive Director of Eternal Soldier, an organization that promotes programs, public speaking events, workshops and book groups for Veterans on military history and service, biography, famous narratives, battlefield technology, myth and art. Eternal Soldier, based at the Penn Museum, focuses on Veterans’ stories, past and present. Funded by a fellowship from the Loeb Classical Library Foundation at Harvard, Max completed a workshop design series with men and women Veterans to improve and expand Eternal Soldier programs. Aided by the learnings from that effort, and with funding from the National Park Service, most recently Max initiated an archaeological project with a team of Veterans at Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, site of arguably the greatest artillery battle of the American Revolution.
Friday, October 9 | Emily Briggs
Locating Fort Wallace: Public Memory, Avocational Knowledge, and Archaeological Research in Western Pennsylvania
Fort Wallace, traditionally associated with Wallace’s Mill and McGee Run in Westmoreland County, is a Revolutionary-era frontier site that remains important to local memory, avocational researchers, and public history. This presentation will discuss an emerging thesis project that uses documentary research, historic maps, GIS, oral history, and community-sourced information to better understand the Fort Wallace landscape. Special attention will be given to how archaeologists can responsibly work with local residents, collectors, and interested members of the public while protecting sensitive archaeological site information.
About the Speaker
Born and raised in Washington County, PA, Emily Briggs is a graduate student in the M.A. in Applied Archaeology program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include historical archaeology, public archaeology, frontier landscapes, community memory, and the preservation of archaeological resources in western Pennsylvania. Her current thesis research focuses on Fort Wallace, a historically referenced frontier site in Westmoreland County, and explores how documentary evidence, GIS, oral history, and avocational knowledge can be responsibly integrated into archaeological research.
Friday, October 16 | Debbie Miller
In the Shadow of Independence: The Archaeology of Old Philadelphia
Since its establishment in 1948, archaeology has played a central role in the research and interpretation of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than eighty archaeological sites have uncovered the stories of the people who lived and worked here, from Benjamin Franklin and George Washington to the diverse communities whose daily lives and contributions shaped the nation’s founding. This presentation highlights the park’s archaeological resources and explores how decades of excavation and research have transformed our understanding of eighteenth-century Philadelphia. By uncovering the stories preserved beneath our feet, archaeology provides new perspectives on the people, places, and events that defined America’s early history while enriching how the National Park Service interprets and shares these stories with the public.
About the Speaker
Debbie Miller is the Archaeologist and Curator of Archaeological Collections at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has previously served as an archaeologist with AECOM, Stenton, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, among other organizations. In addition to her professional work, Debbie serves as a technical advisor to the Committee on Historic Designation for the Philadelphia Historical Commission and is on the Board of the American Ceramics Circle. Her research focuses on early American ceramics, eighteenth-century social and material culture, and historic landscapes.
Friday, October 23 | Ben Ford
The American Revolution in Western Pennsylvania: Archaeology at Historic Hanna’s Town
“The American Revolution in Western Pennsylvania: Archaeology at Historic Hanna’s Town” uses the site of Historic Hanna’s Town in Westmoreland County to explore life before, during, and after the American Revolution in western Pennsylvania. The wide range of artifacts from the site illustrate how the town was connected to local and international economies, and why the residents were early proponents of revolution. When the Revolution came home and Hanna’s Town was burned in 1782, the archaeological record also indicates how the townspeople rebuilt. This talk draws on decades of archaeological investigations by volunteers, professionals, and students.
About the Speaker
Ben Ford is the Chair of the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an anthropologist specializing in historical and underwater archaeology. Originally from Cincinnati, he now lives in Indiana, Pennsylvania with a spouse, two kids, dog, and bearded dragon. His recent publications include The Shore is a Bridge: The Maritime Cultural Landscape of Lake Ontario and Our Blue Planet: An Introduction to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology (with Jessi Halligan and Alexis Catsambis).
Friday, October 30 | Dr. Matthew A. Kalos
The Archaeology and Memory of Paoli Battlefield
This research explores the archaeology at Paoli Battlefield. Rather than examining just, the battle, Dr. Kalos applies and landscape approach that examines the cultural history, the battle, and the mnemonic legacy of the landscape. The aim of the presentation is to introduce the discipline of conflict archaeology and use Paoli Battlefield as a case study illustrating the role of conflict archaeology in examining the Revolutionary War era.
About the Speaker
Dr. Kalos is an assistant professor of Anthropology and Human Geography at Brookdale Community College. He earned his PhD from Temple University where he studied the Paoli Battlefield. For his doctoral research he created and applied a layered landscape approach, examining the physical, the cultural, the battle, and the mnemonic landscapes. He currently serves as a research fellow with the Center for Integrative Research in Conflict Archaeology (CIRCA) where he explores the archaeology of memory as it applies to conflict sites. Dr. Kalos is the co-editor of the volume The Archaeology of the American Revolution (University of Florida Press, 2025).
About the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
PA SHPO coordinates state and federal historic preservation programs including the National Register of Historic Places, state and federal tax credits, and review of state and federal projects for their impact on historic resources.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn.