Founded in 1875, the Buffalo Zoological Gardens (aka, The Buffalo Zoo) is located on 23.5 acres of Buffalo's historic Delaware Park, designed by  Frederick Law Olmsted. In 1938, under Curator Marlin Perkins, the zoo began a modernization project, including the construction of the Main Animal Building. Over the next 80+ years, numerous renovation and construction projects have occured, significantly expanding exhibits and visitor facilities.

Today, the philosophy of The Buffalo Zoo is to exhibit animals and plants in ecological habitats and geographical arrangements that represent the biomes of the world. Current programs focus on providing visitors with a better understanding of the natural world, how animals relate to each other, to their environment and to humankind. The zoo exhibits a diverse collection of wild and exotic animals, and more than 320 different species of plants. 

In 2022, the Buffalo Zoo project plan called for the renovation and reconstruction of the Buffalo Zoological Gardens, including the demolition of about 41 existing structures and construction of about 45 new buildings. Plans included the installation of associated infrastructure including new walkways, utilities and landscaping alterations.

UB Archaelogical Survey was hired to provide a Phase 1 Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of the entire project area.  The purpose of the survey was to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (1966) and Section 14.09 of the State Historic Preservation Act (1980).

The project area was examined by a series of 162 shovel test pits (STPs) excavated across the entire project area in places not obscured by standing structures, surface pavements or landscaping elements. 

Fieldwork produced Pre-Contact artifacts, as well as those associated with historic Euro-American settlers. A total 181 historic objects that were found including functionally unidentified objects (e.g., aluminum clips, shards of glass), food-related objects (e.g., bottle glass, porcelain), architectural and miscellaneous objects. Most of these objects appear to have been deposited as broadcast-scatter debris (aka littering) over the course of the late 19^th through early 21^st centuries by visitors to Delaware Park and the Buffalo Zoological Gardens. 

In addition, three previously unidentified Pre-Contact sites  were found and a wide variety of Pre-Contact artifacts were discovered (e.g., tool fragments, biface thinning flakes). These three sites were recommended for further work to determine National Register eligibility.

All Pre-Contact and historic artifacts were carefully cleaned, sorted, identified, tabulated and analyzed, classified and placed in storage at the UB Archaeological Survey office.