The former Field School site at Castle Gardens... In the 1960s, excavations at Castle Gardens uncovered a prehistoric site with a rich trash midden, layers of Late Archaic artifacts, and features, such as hearths. Archaeologists found a distinctive small, finely-notched point not previously recognized on New York and Pennsylvania sites. Researchers identified a new phase, Vestal, named for the town in which the site is located. Vestal marks a time when people moved their camps seasonally and hunted, fished, and collected wild plants. The 2003 field school completed preliminary excavations that produced an abundance of artifacts as well as cooking hearths and pit features. Investigations with the 2004 field school will examine the site in more detail and address a series of research questions concerning the role of Vestal within Susquehanna Valley prehistory.