Archaeology Dig On NY Colonial Military Site Wrapping Up

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — A six-week archaeological dig on a Colonial-era British military site on the upper Hudson River is wrapping up.

A team of volunteers and students has been excavating areas on Rogers Island at Fort Edward, 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Albany.

Thousands of British and Colonial American troops were encamped at Fort Edward during the French and Indian War from 1755-1759.

They used the fort and the neighboring island as a base of operations for attacks on French forts in the eastern Adirondacks.

The excavations, led by archaeologist David Starbuck, have uncovered 18th-century artifacts such as musket balls and pottery, as well as evidence of soldier dwellings. The dig ends Friday.

Local officials plan to develop the publicly owned part of the island into a historical park.