Land poised to house Lehigh Valley Health Network’s future Carbon campus might hold archaeological significance, according to a letter from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The letter — dated Dec. 20 and addressed to RKR Hess, an engineering firm working on the LVHN project — states that “there is a high probability that National Register significant archaeological sites are present within this project area,” which could be “adversely affected by project activities.”

The area in question is a 35-acre plot located off Route 443 in Mahoning Township.

Taking into account already known archaeological resources (material remains of past human activity) in the area, Howard Pollman, of PHMC, said via email that the commission also considered factors like soil and topography in predicting possible remnants at the Mahoning site.

“Specifically,” Pollman wrote, “there are previously recorded sites within the immediate vicinity of the project area that are situated in settings identical to the project area.”

The archaeological resources, or remnants, found would be Native American.

In the correspondence, the PHMC recommended a Phase I archaeological survey be conducted at the Mahoning lot. A Phase I survey could lead to the confirmation of previously recorded materials, or the discovery of new ones.

Nathan Oiler, an engineer from RKR Hess, recently told Mahoning’s planning commission that a study was underway. A few days later, Brian Downs, LVHN public information officer, said the network is waiting on a final report.

LVHN can share that report once it’s received, Downs added.

If archaeological sites are identified at the future LVHN campus location, PHMC’s first recommendation will be avoiding them, “as avoidance is the shortest course of action,” Pollman wrote.

But if evasion isn’t an option, the site would have to be cataloged with the National Register of Historic Places, which could require a Phase II investigation.

Once deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, Pollman said the applicant — or in this case, LVHN — “must mitigate the adverse effect the project will have on the site.”

Mitigation could look like monetary compensation for the loss of archaeological or historic property, according to Pennsylvania Historic Preservation — a blog connected to the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office.

But Pollman added that subsequent surveys and mitigation are uncommon; the PHMC typically steps back from a project following the Phase 1 survey.