Credit: Dr. J. M. Adovasio, Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute.
The archaeological record at the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Washington County indicates that the first humans arrived in Pennsylvania sometime between 16,000 to 12,000 years ago. The proximity to nearby Cross Creek, a small tributary of the Ohio River, and its southern exposure, made Meadowcroft Rockshelter an attractive location for prehistoric habitation. The creek was both a source of drinking water and food for people living in the shelter.
