2024-25 “Gateways” Undergrad Research in Archaeology

During the 2024-25 academic year, Pitt undergraduate students worked with Dr. Hanks and PhD candidate Emily Eklund, to undertake archaeological geophysical surveys in Westinghouse Park, a 10.2 acre city park in Pittsburgh’s east end. This project, in collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh and the Westinghouse Legacy, a non-profit created to honor George Westinghouse Jr. (The Westinghouse Legacy), is focused on providing survey results that will better locate the original foundations of Westinghouse’s “Solitude” estate home and underground laboratory complex that includes a preserved underground tunnel system that connected them. George Westinghouse and his wife Marguerite lived at this location from 1871 until 1918.

Through classroom lectures and on-site geophysical survey instruction, students are learning how to use ground penetrating radar, magnetometry, earth resistance, and electromagnetic conductivity. These research activities are contributing to a better understanding of the historical heritage of the site and the legacy of George Westinghouse Jr. Research was conducted over four weekends, two in the fall term and two in the spring term, with two different groups of students. The fall intern students presented a poster and the spring interns gave a presentation, both at the spring Student Research Fair in the Department of Anthropology.

Gateways interns (left to right) Emma Schramm, Josephine Bevacqua, Isabel Darrow, Alexis Duley, Benjamin McClelland, Isaac Mains and Jalen Manhertz show off their research.

Gateways interns (left to right) Emma Schramm, Benjamin McClelland and Isabel Darrow present their research from the spring term at the Student Research Fair.

Undergraduate students Alexis Duley, Jalen Manhertz and Sophia Zar surveying with earth resistance instrument.

Undergraduate student Gail Wolf surveying with electromagnetic conductivity instrument.

Faculty members Dr. Marc Bermann and Dr. Claire Ebert surveying with ground penetrating radar system

Faculty participants of the project: Dr. Bryan Hanks, Dr. Marc Bermann, Dr. Claire Ebert, and Dr. Jennifer Muller
Graduate Student Assistant: Emily Eklund