PAF archaeologists identified and examined portions of the Broome Tech site in 1980, 1982, and 1989 during various sewer projects in the Town of Dickinson (Curtin 1982; Mair 1980; Versaggi 1989). PAF conducted a Phase 2 site examination at the site in 1982 to define the site's boundaries and evaluate eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (Curtin 1982). The site, on both sides of US 11, includes approximately 20,240 m2 (217,800 ft2). Based on the multiple time periods present, diverse artifact assemblage, and potential for features, the New York State Historic Preservation Office declared the Broome Tech site eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Prior to a New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) project along US 11 and a proposed private development, PAF prepared a data recovery plan for Phase 3 archaeological work on the east side of US 11. Fieldwork for the Phase 3 data recovery was carried out in 1997 and 1998 (Miroff and Kudrle 2017). Archaeologists divided the site into two parts for this work: Part A to the south lies on a relatively flat terrace above the floodplain, and Part B to the north lies on a gentle slope and the floodplain. Previous work in Part A suggested that it was not rich in artifacts, but features (e.g., cooking hearths, storage pits) were possibly present. Field methods included mechanical removal of the topsoil and shovel scraping of the subsoil to search for the dark stains that would indicate people were cooking or storing food in this location. Archaeologists investigated a mechanically stripped area covering 9,100 m2 (97,952 ft2), including a line of stripped blocks that connected Parts A and B. Little work had been previously conducted in the area known as Part B. Field methods here focused on the hand excavation of 1 x 1 m2 units. PAF crews excavated a total of 202 units.
