Finding Fort Roberdeau

Fort Roberdeau was a lead mine in central Pennsylvania during the period of the American Revolution. Scant information exists on the original position of the fort, the location of mining activity in the area during the period of the Revolution, or artifacts from this period. Subsequent farming, mining exploration, and the placement of the current replica fort (erected 1976) obscure the landform and hinder identification of Revolutionary-period mining activities. As a means of locating where the mining activities occurred and the original position of the fort, this study integrates historical, geological, geophysical, geochemical, geomorphological, and archaeological data. Geological mapping identified potential areas of past mining, and geophysical resistivity surveys verified at least one Revolutionary-period mine, since the location and dimensions of the subsurface anomaly match historical records. The positions of period metallic artifacts in conjunction with a road and corner of the original fort (identified with LiDAR and thermal imagery) place the original fort near the current replica. El fuerte Fort Roberdeau fue una mina de plomo durante el periodo de la Revolucion Americana en el centro de Pensilvania. Existe escasa informacion sobre la posicion original del fuerte, la ubicacion de la actividad minera en el area durante la epoca revolucionaria o artefactos de este periodo. La agricultura y la exploracion minera posteriores y la ubicacion de la replica actual del fuerte (erigido en 1976) oscurecen la forma del relieve y dificultan la identificacion de las actividades mineras revolucionarias. Como medio para localizar donde ocurrieron las actividades mineras y la posicion original del fuerte, este estudio integra datos historicos, geologicos, geofisicos, geoquimicos, geomorfologicos y arqueologicos. Con el mapeo geologico, se identificaron areas potenciales de mineria pasada, y los estudios de resistividad geofisica verificaron al menos una mina de la edad revolucionaria, ya que la ubicacion y las dimensiones de la anomalia del subsuelo coinciden con los registros historicos. Las posiciones de los artefactos metalicos de la epoca junto con una carretera y una esquina del fuerte original (identificadas con LiDAR e imagenes termicas) colocan el fuerte original cerca de la replica actual. Le Fort Roberdeau etait une mine de plomb situee dans le centre de la Pennsylvanie durant la periode de la Revolution americaine. Il n'existe que fort peu d'informations sur l'emplacement d'origine du fort, le site de l'activite miniere dans la region pendant la periode de la Revolution ou les artefacts datant de cette epoque. L'activite agricole, l'exploration miniere y ayant succede et le lieu de la replique actuelle du fort (construite en 1976) ont obscurci la topographie et fait obstacle a l'identification des activites minieres de la periode de la Revolution. Afin d'identifier le lieu ou s'exercait l'exploitation miniere ainsi que l'emplacement d'origine du fort, cette etude incorpore des donnees historiques, geologiques, geophysiques, geochimiques, geomorphologiques et archeologiques. La cartographie geologique a designe des zones potentielles d'exploitation miniere passee et les etudes de resistivite geophysique ont confirme au moins une mine datant de l'ere de la Revolution, car le site et les dimensions de l'anomalie du sous-sol correspondent aux archives historiques. Les emplacements des artefacts metalliques d'epoque en conjonction avec une route et un angle du fort d'origine (identifies grace a l'imagerie thermique et LiDAR) situent le fort d'origine a proximite de la replique actuelle.

Automated summary

Fort Roberdeau was a lead mine located in central Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. Limited information regarding the original fort's location, mining activity during the period, and artifacts have been found. This study integrates various data sources to determine the original fort location and mining activities, including historical, geological, geophysical, geochemical, geomorphological, and archaeological data. Geological mapping and geophysical surveys confirmed the existence of at least one mine from the Revolutionary period, matching historical records. The location of period metallic artifacts, as well as the presence of a road and corner of the original fort, placed the original fort near the current replica.