Delaware

Native American Artifacts Found on Lehigh Land to be Returned to Delaware Nation

Published

2 years ago

March 1, 2024

Native American Artifacts Found on Lehigh Land to be Returned to Delaware Nation

Kintzer said it was the first time in her nearly nine years at Lehigh that she was contacted about artifacts. Kintzer consulted two sociology and anthropology professors and spoke with Lehigh College of Health Dean Beth Dolan to decide the best option for the artifacts.

“If you don’t make a decision, the artifacts go to the Pennsylvania Museum of History. That felt a little too distanced or removed from what we were hoping to accomplish here,” Kintzer said. “I was worried they might end up in a drawer where someone forgets about them, versus being something that would be honored and used.”

Dolan suggested contacting Delaware Nation. University leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Delaware Nation in October 2023, signaling an ongoing, reciprocal partnership. The agreement also enabled Delaware Nation to relocate an extension of their historic preservation office to Lehigh’s campus. At the time of the signing, Sean M. Daley, a faculty member with the College of Health who directs Lehigh’s Institute for Indigenous Studies (IIS), said he hopes the MOU will encourage Delaware Nation students to not only come to Lehigh to study, but to start a connection with their ancestral lands.

Dolan said the timing of the find was fortunate. Katelyn Lucas, Delaware Nation’s historic preservation officer, moved into her office at the IIS at the start of the Fall 2023 semester and was quickly able to handle the transfer of the artifacts to their rightful home.

“Honoring the history and culture of the Lenape people is a foundational goal of Lehigh’s MOU with the Delaware Nation, a goal that is further supported by the Institute for Indigenous Studies in the College of Health,” Dolan said.

Most of the artifacts found on Lehigh’s property are “pre-contact” artifacts, meaning they were made before European settlers arrived, said Richard White, an archeologist at A.D. Marble & Company. Swedes were the first European settlers in Pennsylvania. The first settlement was recorded in 1643 when Governor Johan Printz of the colony of New Sweden arrived and established his capital at Tinicum Island, according to Britannica.

Artifacts collected at the site include debitage, or the material produced during the process of fashioning stones into tools or weapons; stone tools, stone knife points and ceramic fragments from pottery.

Anytime PennDOT officials are undertaking a project, they have to consider its effects on cultural resources, including archeological sites, historic buildings and historic districts, McDougal said. There were a number of previous archaeological sites in the area of this particular project, which is why PennDOT decided to conduct the survey.

The State Museum has a predictive model that takes into consideration locations of previously recorded sites, the type of soil, landforms in the area and natural resources Native people would have needed to live, such as streams, McDougal said.

Last April and May archeologists excavated a total of 566 test pits across an area of just under 100 acres, White said. The excavation site included property not owned by Lehigh where artifacts had previously been recorded by amateur archeologists 20 to 30 years ago, White said.

The majority of artifacts uncovered in the spring were discovered on Lehigh’s land, he added.

PennDOT completed its study of the property.

“Archaeology is the study of humanity through the lens of material culture.” McDougal said. “I personally think it’s really important to understand the history of the land we are on, dating back as long as there have been people there. You study past peoples, whether it be Native Americans, or early European settlers of this area, and that tells you a lot about how people lived, the small bits and pieces of life. I think it gives you a very good picture of common humanity.”

People have been living in what is now Pennsylvania for roughly 15,000 years, McDougal said.

“There are still many important Native American sites across eastern Pennsylvania which warrant proper respect and protections,” Lucas said. “The Lenape Tribal Nations still care deeply about their ancestors’ sites and belongings in the homelands. But because they were historically forced out and relocated far away, it has often been difficult to get institutions and organizations in the homelands to recognize and respect their ongoing relationship to these lands.”

Lehigh’s decision to return the artifacts to Delaware Nation is an ideal model for such collections, Lucas said. Lenape Tribal Nations should also be consulted before ground disturbance happens in their homelands, she added.

“There’s a really long history of settler colonial institutions problematically implying that Tribal Nations aren’t capable of handling their own artifacts,” Lucas said. “Returning ownership of collections and management agency to Tribal Nations for their own museums is critical.”

Read more stories on the Lehigh News Center.

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Delaware

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Published

6 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Delaware may have seen its first snowfall of the season, but it won’t stick around for long.

Despite below freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, it’s possible that by the weekend there won’t be a trace of snow.

Here’s what to know about this week’s weather and snow melt.

When will the snow melt away?

While Delaware will face freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for a warmup starting on Dec. 17. Here’s the forecast:

New Castle County

Cold weather will continue this evening and into Dec. 16 with lows dropping into the teens. The county will hit 32 degrees on Dec. 16 before dropping to 22 that night. Temperatures start climbing into the low 40s with partly sunny skies on Dec. 17. Highs will hit 51 degrees on Dec. 18. If most of the snow hasn’t melted by that point, it should be gone after rain goes through the area during the overnight between Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Highs will remain above freezing, hitting 44 on Dec. 18.

Kent County

Lows will drop into the teens overnight before climbing above freezing on Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, Kent County will see partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s. It will be mostly cloudy on Dec. 18 with highs hitting 55. There’s a 90% chance of rain during the overnight hours into Dec. 19. The 19th is looking mostly cloudy with highs reaching 47.

Sussex County

After lows hit 19 during the overnight tonight, the high for Dec. 16 will be 38 degrees with sunny skies. Any snow in the southern part of the state will vanish Dec. 17 and Dec 18. Both days will feature sunny skies with highs reaching the low 50s on Dec. 17 and almost hitting 60 on Dec. 18.

What is black ice?

Despite the warm up, overnight temperatures are expected to be below freezing. If you are driving at night, you’ll need to watch out for black ice.

According to The Weather Channel, black ice is a thin layer of ice that forms on roads and is difficult to see. It’s generally found on bridges, overpasses and spots on the road shaded by trees or other objects.

If roadways are wet from rain, snow or fog and temperatures drop below 32 degrees, black ice can form on roadways.

If you hit black ice, you should do the following:

Keep your steering wheel straight.
Do not brake
Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed

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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Published

19 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

The following school districts have announced delays.

New Castle County

Red Clay- 2 hours
Christina- 2 hours
Brandywine- 2 hours
Colonial- 2 hours
Appoquinimink- 2 hours
New Castle County Vo-Tech- 2 hours

Kent County

Smyrna- 2 hours
Capital- 1 hour
Lake Forest- 2 hours
Polytech- 2 hours

Sussex County

Milford- 2 hours
Woodbridge- 2 hours
Cape Henlopen- 2 hours
Laurel- 2 hours
Seaford- 2 hours
Delmar- 90 minutes
Indian River- 2 hours
Sussex Tech- 2 hours

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)

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Delaware

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

PHILADELPHIA – Snow stacked up quickly across the Philadelphia region Sunday, with new reports showing nearly 9 inches in some suburbs and several inches on the ground in much of the city.

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

The latest Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, issued at 10:36 a.m. Sunday, shows significantly higher snowfall totals than the early-morning reports. Many communities that were sitting at 1 to 3 inches before sunrise are now in the 5 to 8 inch range, especially north and west of Philadelphia.

5,500+ PECO homes, businesses without power Sunday as winter storm impacts region

In the city, an observation from Center City lists 3.6 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the Northeast like Fox Chase, Bustleton and Somerton are reporting between 4 and 5 inches. An official reading at Philadelphia International Airport shows 1.3 inches, underscoring the sharp gradient from the airport to the rest of the city.

The heaviest bands have focused on parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties, where multiple towns are now reporting 7 to 8 inches. South Jersey and northern Delaware have also seen a solid plowable snow, with widespread 4 to 7 inch totals in some communities.

These totals are based on reports collected through about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and may continue to rise where snow is still falling.

Snow totals in the Philadelphia area

Philadelphia

Fox Chase: 5.0″
Bustleton: 4.9″
Rockledge (city border): 4.9″
Somerton (1 SW): 4.3″
Center City/Philadelphia (observer): 3.6″
Philadelphia International Airport: 1.3″

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County

East Nantmeal Twp: 8.8″
East Nottingham Twp: 8.5″
Malvern: 8.0″
Berwyn: 8.0″
Exton area: 7.9″
Atglen / West Sadsbury Twp: 7.8″
West Caln Twp: 7.5″
West Chester (2.4 SSE): 6.5″

Montgomery County

Blue Bell (2.3 NW): 8.7″
Near Worcester Twp: 8.5″
Skippack area: 8.0″
Harleysville / Salford Twp: 7.5″
Pennsburg area: 7.0″
New Hanover Twp: 7.0″
Pottstown area (including Stowe and NE Pottstown): 6.6″–7.3″
Norristown: 7.2″
Willow Grove / Jenkintown corridor: 6.0″–6.4″

Bucks County

Doylestown (3.4 SW): 8.0″
Hilltown Twp: 7.8″
Tinicum Twp area: 7.5″
Perkasie / Souderton / Trumbauersville: around 7.0″
Fricks: 7.0″
Newtown / Langhorne area: around 6.0″
Levittown: 5.0″
Croydon: 5.2″

Delaware County

Bethel Twp: 6.5″
Springfield: 6.0″
Upper Chichester: 5.5″
Aston: 4.8″
Morton: 4.9″
Lansdowne: 4.0″

Berks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties

East Nantmeal / Alburtis / Earl Twp / Lake Harmony / Lehigh Twp (Carbon): around 7.0″–8.0″
Coopersburg (Lehigh): 8.0″
Center Valley: 7.0″
Macungie (1 NW): 6.5″
Allentown: 5.6″
Bethlehem area: around 6.0″
Pen Argyl: 7.0″

New Jersey

Burlington County

Moorestown: 7.0″
Mount Laurel / Burlington: 5.8″
Medford Lakes: 4.8″
Mount Holly (NWS office): 3.6″

Camden and Gloucester counties

Haddon Township: 5.7″
Pennsauken: 5.7″
Pitman: 5.6″
Washington Twp (Gloucester): 5.5″
Monroe Twp (Gloucester): around 4.0″
Winslow Twp: 3.1″

Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland counties

Hammonton: 4.0″
Woodstown: 4.5″
Salem: 3.8″
Pennsville: 3.5″
Ventnor City: 2.5″
Atlantic City International Airport: 0.6″

Delaware

New Castle County

Bear: 6.8″
Hockessin: 6.0″
Wilmington (north): 5.4″
Newark area: 3.9″–4.6″
Middletown area: 3.8″
New Castle County Airport: 3.3″

Kent County

Smyrna / Clayton / Cheswold area: around 2.0″
Magnolia area: 1.4″

Winter Light Spectacular at Lehigh Valley Zoo canceled Sunday due to snow, cold temperatures

By the numbers:

Highest total so far: 8.8″ in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County)
Other standout totals: 8.7″ in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 8.5″ in East Nottingham Township (Chester County), 8.0″ in Doylestown area, Coopersburg and parts of Carbon County
City of Philadelphia: generally 3″–5″ away from the airport, with around 3.6″ in Center City and up to 5.0″ in Fox Chase
Many suburbs: now in the 5″–8″ range, especially north and west of the city

What’s next:

Snow continues to impact travel across the region Sunday, with many neighborhood and secondary roads still snow-covered or slushy. Drivers should plan for reduced visibility, slick spots, and extended travel times, especially in areas that picked up more than 5 inches of snow.

The Source: This article is based on observed snowfall totals from the National Weather Service Mount Holly Public Information Statement.

WeatherPhiladelphia

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