Locus 7 Site
The Locus 7 Site is an archaeological site in Washington Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located north of Fayette City, the site lies on a bluff over Downers Run about from the Monongahela River. It is believed to be the location of a former Monongahela village, but its date is uncertain; the village may have existed at any time between 900 and 1600. Its location on a bluff is unusual for Monongahela village sites, but this may have contributed to its preservation; most riverside Monongahela sites in the valley of the Monongahela River have been destroyed by development.
Small-scale archaeological investigation at the site has revealed a wide range of pottery at the site, along with a significant amount of mussel shells; it is believed that a more extensive excavation would yield evidence of small round houses and a stockade. Such a large amount of potential findings has been theorized because of the limited disturbance that the site has seen: unlike most Monongahela sites in the region, it has been damaged only by surface cultivation by local farmers who used only horse-powered equipment.
Locus 7's archaeological significance was recognized in 1980 when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
