Not battlefield archaeology Gettysburg archeological digs approved

At a cost of about $40,000, archeologists hope a second set of digs will unearth 19th-century blacksmithing tools and household artifacts at a historic site on South Washington Street in Gettysburg.

The digs are anticipated to begin in the next few weeks and once they are completed, the Adams County Housing Authority will begin building two duplexes there as low- to moderate-income housing.

The Gettysburg Borough Council and the housing authority agreed earlier this month to do the digs, after the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission recommended them. On Monday, the borough re-allocated money from the Community Development Block Grant that was originally intended for recreation-park improvements and down-payment and closing-cost assistance for people who purchase the duplexes.