The initial excavation has uncovered the location of the lock walls where they were expected be found based on previous magnetic imaging and historic maps and surveys.
The Erie Canal, opened in 1825, turned New York into the Empire State and served as the gateway for America’s westward expansion. Albany was its starting point. The lock, buried under debris for 100 years, was initially excavated, in part, in 2002 when the top stones of the lock were located at the site.
Subsequent testing identified the outline of the lock. This week a team of archeologists and students from the SUNY Polytechnic Institute working with Albany Waterway Inc. began a more in-depth excavation of the site under a permit from New York State…