Lake George Battlefield Park archaeological study begins

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Archaeologists are at Battlefield Park in Lake George where an archaeological study will take place over the next three weeks. The study is being conducted thanks to the organizing by the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and Skidmore College.

Skidmore College Professor Siobhan Hart and her students started the archaeological survey on Monday. They hope to excavate two sites in the park within the next three weeks, with the goal of unearthing and preserving the site’s history. The team used ground penetrating radar to first survey the area.

“We’re looking for places that we want to be sensitive to – either places that have cultural resources, buildings, things like that – that we might want to preserve but also places we might want to avoid. Places that are the resting place of human remains,” said Hart.

Some of the human remains are believed to be those of 18th century soldiers, as well as Native Americans, and those who were sent to Lake George for smallpox treatment but died from the disease. 

“We are working here first to look for any evidence of the revolutionary war era smallpox hospitals that were on the site. We know from historic records and maps that there were a number of buildings that were referred to hospitals,” said Hart.

It’s not the first dig at the park. The late Dr. David Starbuck did archaeological explorations in the early 2000s. Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance President John DiNuzzo explains why it took so long to continue.

“These things take time and there is only a very finite number of qualified anthropologists and archaeologists who are capable of not only doing the archaeology, but also managing the process,” said DiNuzzo. 

Dr. Hart is the chair of Skidmore’s Anthropology Department. She’s excited to teach students in this hands-on environment. 

She hopes to see this develop into a bigger project to remember Lake George's 18th-century history. That includes the 44 remains found in the village a few years ago.

“We look forward to very soon dedicating the new memorial plaza to the 44 remains of continental soldiers that were found here in 2019. They’ll be an addition to this park, probably will be dedicated in 2026,” said DiNuzzo. 

On June 14 there will be a reinterment blessing ceremony for those 44 remains that were unearthed on Courtland Street back in 2019.