An Archaeometric Investigation into the Former Cataract House Hotel via Elemental Analysis

Abstract

Over the course of the 19th century, the former Cataract House Hotel of Niagara Falls, New York, became one of the largest hotels in the region while also serving as an important “station” on the Underground Railroad. A park now occupies the area covering its demolished ruins. Since 2017, archaeological excavations of the site have taken place, led by the Anthropology Department at SUNY Buffalo. Although much is known about the overall design of the Cataract House Hotel, a clearer understanding of its construction phases, as well as its role in the Underground Railroad, could be determined from spectroscopic analysis in tandem with ongoing archaeological investigations. In 2022, in situ data collection was performed on plaster walls at the excavation site using a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) instrument. These elemental data were used in conjunction with archaeological information to form conclusions regarding different construction phases of the hotel. Samples of plaster walls were also collected for further ex situ analyses with pXRF and portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (pLIBS) in a laboratory setting. Future work will include data collection and analysis by additional spectroscopic methods of other artifacts collected at the site, such as pigment samples removed from an unearthed stone step.