Vermont Agency of Transportation Archaeological and Historic Resources

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Archaeology of the Missisquoi Delta: The Swanton Route 78 Project, Swanton, Vermont

UMF crew member excavating a test unit. Native American cooking hearth. UMF Crew for the Swanton Project.

To Travelers on Route 78, the roadside view along the Missisquoi River in Swanton, Vermont may conjure up images of Egypt, Pompeii, and the romance of Old World archaeology. Instead of Holsteins grazing leisurely in this bucolic northwestern Vermont Field, one finds a sizable crew of professional archaeologists digging and sifting in the soils of this ancient floodplain. They are here to answer questions about Vermont's past. For the past year, the University of Maine at Farmington Archaeology Research Center (UMF ARC) has been conducting archaeological investigations in the town of Swanton. The work is being done for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT) and the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) as part of a project to improve road conditions along Route 78. Both state and federal laws require that the archaeological resources in this project area be identified and protected. So far, the archaeologists have uncovered a wealth of information in just the early phases of the project. At least three deeply buried Native American campsites or villages have been identified. These sites were inhabited over 3,000 years ago during what is called the Woodland period (ca. 1000 B.C. - A.D. 1500). Some of these sites have also shown us that Native American groups and Europeans have occupied this land together beginning around 1600 A.D. This is an impressive large-scale archaeological investigation that is sure to add extremely exciting and valuable information to the unfolding fabric of Vermont's past. For more information, visit the UMF ARC web site or call them Toll-Free at 877-863-2720. All photos and project information courtesy of the Archaeology Research Center, University of Maine at Farmington and are used by permission. Summary on this page by Chris Slesar. Return to Archaeology and Historic Resources Home Page