Dig under way at historic Saratoga battlefield

STILLWATER, N.Y. — Archaeologists are digging for artifacts in a battle-scarred and history-rich stretch of the upper Hudson River where the Battles of Saratoga turned the American Revolution around.

They're hoping to complete their task at Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater ahead of a different kind of dig along the river to remove something more recent occupants left behind: PCBs.

The EPA has ordered General Electric to remove PCBs it dumped into the river at Fort Edward and neighboring Hudson Falls for 30 years, ending in 1977 when the practice was banned. Dredgers are expected to reach the national park's riverfront area in 2014.

That gives the archaeologists time to dig around its 2,800-acre battlefield property for any artifacts missed by previous excavations or overlooked by "pot hunters" who loot historical sites.