Presented by Matthew Kirk | Vice President and Principal Investigator with Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.
Co-Presenter Elizabeth Gregory| Archaeologist with Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.
Hartgen Archeological Associates recently conducted a LiDAR survey of Flint Mine Hill as part of an alternative mitigation in cooperation with The Archaeological Conservancy. The study produced a new 3D model of the quarry complex’s surface that provides exciting new avenues of research previously unavailable to archaeologists.
Flint Mine Hill is an expansive and prominent landform west of the Hudson River in upstate New York, containing numerous outcrops of Normanskill chert. These chert outcrops have been exploited by Indigenous Peoples from the end of the ice age through the colonial period. Over the years various archeologists have tried to study and document the quarry, however, its sheer size, complex terrain, and later anthropogenic changes have reshaped the hill, making it difficult to create a practical site map.
Hartgen Archeological Associates recently conducted a LiDAR survey of Flint Mine Hill as part of an alternative mitigation in cooperation with The Archaeological Conservancy. The methodology included both aerial and terrestrial LiDAR scanning to digitally record the landscape. Post-processing measures resulted in a detailed Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from the LIDAR’s point cloud data. By creating a bare earth model of the quarry that removed vegetation and trees from the data, the archeologists could identify previously unseen complexes of features across the quarry. The study produced a new 3-D model of the quarry complex’s surface that provides exciting new avenues of research previously unavailable to archeologists.
Matthew Kirk, M.A., RPA, is vice president and a principal investigator with Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc., where he directs cultural resource investigations throughout New York and the Northeast. A registered professional archaeologist and a fellow of the New York State Archeological Association, Kirk has extensive experience investigating both precontact and historic-period sites. His work has included research on colonial communities, military sites, African American history, and the Underground Railroad, as well as public programs that connect archaeological discoveries with local history.
Elizabeth Gregory is an archaeologist with Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc., specializing in field investigation, cultural resource documentation, and the analysis and interpretation of archeological landscapes. She has directed and contributed to projects across New York, including surveys of both precontact and historic-period sites, and has coauthored numerous technical reports and professional presentations. Her recent work at Flint Mine Hill applies aerial and terrestrial LiDAR to map the extensive quarry landscape and identify archeological features obscured by vegetation and difficult terrain.
Our virtual lectures are a part of our Outreach and Education efforts. They are free to our members and the general public. Recorded lectures are posted on YouTube and on the event page after the event occurs.
For questions about the event or how to register, please contact Tracy Loe ([email protected]) or Sarah Webber ([email protected]).
The Archaeological Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
© 2026 | The Archaeological Conservancy | Website by Half Pixel
