Partnership protects ancient artifacts recovered at Defense Distribution Center Susquehanna

A new stewardship arrangement between the Defense Logistics Agency and the State Museum of Pennsylvania is set to safeguard thousands of Indigenous artifacts first unearthed at the Defense Distribution Center Susquehanna in New Cumberland during the 1980s.

A comprehensive inventory and audit conducted the week of June 1 verified the collection, which includes pottery fragments, stone points and other tools recovered from an upper field on the installation near a tank display. Officials said the review affirms the museum’s ongoing care of the federally owned materials and strengthens cooperation aimed at protecting 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.

After the items were initially recovered, the installation kept them on site under the National Historic Preservation Act. A 2001 property evaluation launched a formal validation of their context, leading to systematic cataloging and transfer to the State Museum in 2007 to satisfy federal stewardship requirements. The latest review cross-checked the collection against original field notes and excavation records and confirmed curatorial arrangements at the museum in Harrisburg.

“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.

Researchers say the materials shed light on daily life along the Susquehanna River during the Middle and Late Woodland periods, roughly 500 to 2,400 years ago. Pottery fragments with geometric designs point to food preparation and storage practices among groups such as the Clemson Island and Susquehannock peoples. Stone points and other tools trace shifts in hunting, woodworking, hide preparation and farming, as well as trade networks that moved materials across the region.

“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.”

Because of their age and fragility, the artifacts require precise environmental controls to slow deterioration once removed from the ground. “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.” He added, “Controlled environmental conditions slow that decay process, ensuring these physical records remain preserved intact for future generations and research.”

Under a formal agreement, DLA retains legal ownership while the State Museum manages curation to meet federal standards. Historically, the repository has supported researcher access and loans to qualified museums, but the commission has paused access and exhibitions for pre-contact Native American collections in line with updated federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act regulations.

“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. “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,” he added. “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.”

DLA officials said the initiative underscores compliance with federal cultural resource laws, 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.”