In Spring 2006, Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Geosciences’ Geography students began conducting geohistorical archeology research within the boundaries of Radnor Lake State Natural Area. This is done in conjunction with the natural area’s Rangers who have assisted in field work.

Geohistorical archeology is a method used by geographers to examine and understand the cultural landscapes of the past. It borrows techniques and methods from historical geography, historical archeology, and history. Simply put, geohistorical archeology is a non-invasive method to surface collect and analyze material culture, i.e. artifacts, to understand the formation of historic sites, location of historic structures, and human settlement patterns.

MTSU Geography students have worked on the historic site 40DV175, a house site dating to the late 1800s/early 1900s. The site was gridded into five-meter squares for artifact provenance. Students flagged historic artifacts on the surface, then photographed, mapped, and collected them for analysis. Early analyses indicates the house was not occupied for a long period of time, and possibly occupied by a male or males based on limited utilitarian household items. It is possible the occupant served as caretaker or watchman for a nearby explosive storage structure that was possibly used in the clearing of stumps in the lake bed of what is now Radnor Lake. Interpretation is ongoing, but initial results provide information on the unwritten historical aspects of Radnor and glimpses into the area’s past.