Abdul Jones’ Applied Archaeology thesis research was featured in the 2025 Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey Report.
Abdul Jones, a student in the IUP Applied Archaeology MA program, conducted thesis research at the Brown’s Farm site, a portion of the larger Laurel Hill Settlement outside of Johnstown. Laurel Hill was a predominantly African American settlement that existed from ca. 1820 to 1968. The Brown’s Farm formed the nucleus of the community.
Jones partially excavated the Brown’s house foundation in order to better understand life in the settlement, especially for the children who lived there. He uncovered two panes of glass inscribed with the name Nellie Brown, one of the children who lived at the site. According to oral histories, Nellie marked the window to signal a boyfriend. Jones was also able to use oral histories to link a large cache of soda bottles to the specific tastes of the last generation of children in the house. The quality of Jones’ research led the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to highlight Brown’s Farm in the 2025 Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey Report.
Jones’ research is part of the larger Untold Stories of Western Pennsylvania Parks and Forests, a partnership between IUP, the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Jones also serves as the crew leader for the DCNR Historic Resource Team. DHRT is a partnership between IUP and DCNR to provide cultural resource management support for Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests. Through his thesis research at Brown’s Farm, Jones was able to bring together his passion for archaeology, public interpretation, and state lands.