I-95 Construction Revealed 5,000 Years Worth of Artifacts in Philadelphia

The I-95 revival project, which recently has been concentrated on the Girard Avenue interchange, has unearthed a treasure trove of archaeological finds, some dating back to Native Americans who lived along the Delaware River from 3560 B.C. to 1500 A.D.

PennDOT and URS Corporation will provide a public, museum-quality exhibit of these Philadelphia artifacts on Thursday, July 17. Staff from both PennDOT and the URS Corporation, which was the archaeological team on the project, will be present at the event to provide additional information and answer questions.

Some of the artifacts found include tools, arrowheads, cooking pots and smoking pipes. Also on display will be historical artifacts dating from the early 1700s through the early 1900s  associated with fishermen, shipbuilders and tradesmen who lived on the waterfront during this time.

The exhibit also will focus on the glass industry that developed on the Delaware River waterfront during the 18th through early 20th centuries. Artifacts on display will include examples of the wide range of glass objects manufactured in Philadelphia.

If you cannot make it to the fascinating event at the First Presbyterian Church in Kensington (418 E. Girard Ave.) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday July 17, 2014, you can visit the interactive digital report online.

The online reports features interactive maps showing the archaeological sites, some are complete and some are ongoing. There is also a plethora of videos to watch as well. Philadelphia is a city with such a rich history, and it's an honor to have this massive construction project unearth such fascinating artifacts. It's also wonderful of PennDOT to properly excavate and preserve these findings.

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