The 99th Annual Meeting
of the
New York State
Archaeological Association
Organized and Hosted by
The Thousand Islands Chapter
and The Finger Lakes Chapter
May 1 to 3, 2015
Watertown, NY
New York State Archaeological Association Officers
Sherene Baugher
Lisa Marie Anselmi
Lori Blair
Ann Morton
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Thousand Islands Chapter Officers
Kurt Thomas Hunt
Larry Corbett
Sally Brown
Diane Coates
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Finger Lakes Chapter Officers
Laura Johnson-Kelly
Michael “Bodhi” Rogers
Wendy Bacon
Paula Turkon
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
99th Annual Meeting Committee
Timothy Abel
Sherene Baugher
Wendy Bacon
Diane Coates
Laura Johnson-Kelly
Michael “Bodhi” Rogers
The cover photograph shows the Eight Square Schoolhouse in Tompkins County near
Ithaca: the last standing octagonal brick schoolhouse in New York State. Carole West
of The History Center in Tompkins County, which manages the building, has
coordinated its archaeological investigation and preservation. The Finger Lakes Chapter
of NYSAA, under the guidance of Professor Michael “Bodhi” Rogers of Ithaca College,
conducted ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry surveys to gain insight into
potential features of interest around the schoolhouse. Brant Venables, a doctoral
candidate in archaeology at Binghamton University, led public outreach excavations to
explore features identified by the archaeogeophysics surveys. Professor Rogers and his
team also conducted a 3D laser scan of the inside and outside of the schoolhouse by
taking readings every 5 mm. The composite image shows the 3D laser scan and
ground-penetrating radar results superimposed on an image of the GPR, 3D laser scan,
and excavations at the site.
SCHEDULE
Friday, May 1
10 am - 12 pm
NYAC Board Meeting (Board Room)
1 - 2:45 pm
NYAC General Meeting (Renaissance Room)
3 - 5 pm
NYAC Public Program (Renaissance Room)
Introduction to the American Battlefield Protection
Program: Path to Preservation by Kristen L. McMasters
(Archeologist and Grants Manager, National Park Service, American
Battlefield Protection Program)
The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was initially
created by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991. In 1996, Congress signed into law the
American Battlefield Protection Act, which officially authorized the ABPP. ABPP
promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on
American soil. The goals of the program are: 1) to protect battlefields and sites
associated with armed conflicts that influenced the course of our history; 2) to
encourage and assist all Americans in planning for the preservation, management, and
interpretation of these sites; and 3) to raise awareness of the importance of preserving
battlefields and related sites for future generations. Recently, the U.S. Senate and
House of Representatives enacted landmark legislation that expands the highly
successful preservation program for Civil War battlefield to include federal matching
grants for the acquisition of land at Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields.
Kristen McMasters will give an overview of the ABPP and recent preservation initiatives.
4 - 6 pm
Skewed Brewing tour and tasting in Salmon Run Mall for $15;
to carpool, meet at 3:50 in the Ramada Inn lobby
5 pm
NYSAA Executive Officers’ meeting
5:30 pm
NYSAA Fellows’ Dinner (Renaissance A)
7:30 pm
NYSAA General Business Meeting (Renaissance B)
Saturday, May 2
7:00 - 8:45 am
Chapter Presidents’ and Secretaries’ Breakfast Meeting
(Executive Room)
8:50 am – 12:00 pm
morning presentations (Renaissance A and B)
12:00 - 1:20 pm
lunch break
1:20 - 5:20 pm
afternoon presentations (Renaissance A)
6 pm
reception with cash bar (Renaissance Room)
7 pm
annual banquet (Renaissance Room)
9 pm
banquet program with guest speaker Darrin L. Lowery
The Delmarva Adena-Hopewell Continuum and the Woodland Period
Dr. Darrin Lowery is a research
associate in the Department of
Anthropology at the Smithsonian
Institution. He has degrees in
anthropology and archaeology as
well as a doctorate in geology. He
has documented more than 1,800
archaeological sites and published
more than 60 reports, articles or
monographs related to the
archaeology and geology of the
Chesapeake Bay region. He and
his colleagues at the Smithsonian
currently are working on several
research projects within the Bay
area dealing with Paleoindian and
Delmarva Middle Woodland
cultures.
Sunday, May 3
8:30 am - 12:30 pm presentations (Renaissance A)
Books and posters are in the Director’s Room.
Coffee breaks are in the Garden Room.
PRESENTATIONS
Saturday, May 2
Precontact Archaeology
Historical Archaeology
8:50 to
9:10 am
Myth, Fraud and Evidence:
Pre-Columbian Celtic Refugees
in the North Atlantic
Denis Foley (SUNY Polytechnic
Institute)
West-Central New York State
Dendrochronology: Dating the
Tolsma House
Cynthia Kocik & Carol Griggs
(Cornell University)
9:10 to
9:30 am
A Preliminary Analysis of
Spurred End Scrapers from the
Corditaipe Site in Central New
York
Cory Atkinson (Binghamton
University)
The Social Lives of
Gravestones: Mortuary Practice
as an Expression of MiddleClass Habitus in the St.
George’s / St. Mark’s
Cemetery, Mount Kisco, NY
Madeline Bourque Kearin
(Brown University)
9:30 to
9:50 am
Lithic Technology, Site
Formation and the
Compartmentalized Landscape
of the Archaic-Woodland
Transition: A View from the
Andrew Kowalik Site,
Cheektowaga, New York
Hans Harmsen & Douglas
Perrelli (SUNY at Buffalo)
The French History of the
Dutch Voorlezer House: The
Forgotten Past
Sherene Baugher (Cornell
University)
9:50 to
10:10 am
Problem Orientation and
Approach to Lithic Analysis:
Examples from Eastern New
York State
Edward V. Curtin, Meadow
Coldon, & Kerry Nelson (Curtin
Archaeological Consulting)
A Tale of Two Middens: A
Story about House Clearances
at the Wilder Farm, South
Bristol, Ontario County and the
Blaker Farm, Macedon Center,
Wayne County, New York
Ann Morton (Morton
Archaeological Research
Services)
Saturday, May 2 continued
10:10 to
10:20 am
discussion
10:20 to
10:40 am
coffee break
10:40 to
11:00 am
From the Mundane to the Extraordinary: Skilled Crafting and
Evidence of Early Woodland Ritual Lithics
Brian R. Grills & Nina M. Versaggi (Binghamton University)
11:00 to
11:20 am
An Online Finding Aid for the Historical Archaeology Collections at
the New York State Museum: A Summary, Future Goals, and some
Highlights from the Collection
Michael Lucas, Kristin O’Connell, & Susan Winchell-Sweeney (New
York State Museum)
11:20 to
11:50 am
Is the Future Here Yet?: Comparisons and Inspirations from
Indigenous Archaeology in New York State and Hawaii
Jack Rossen (Ithaca College) & Kathleen Kawelu (University of
Hawaii at Hilo)
11:50 am to
12:00 pm
discussion
12:00 to
1:20 pm
lunch break
Military Sites Archaeology
1:20 to
1:40 pm
History and Archeology of the Saratoga Borderlands from 1680 to
1748
Matthew Kirk (Hartgen Archeological Associates)
1:40 to
2:00 pm
Fort William Henry Museum’s Mystery Shipwreck Cannons
Joseph W. Zarzynski (French and Indian War Society), Peter Pepe
(Pepe Productions), & Claudia Young (Independent Researcher)
2:00 to
2:20 pm
Archaeology and Preservation at the Lake George Battlefield
David R. Starbuck (Plymouth State University)
Saturday, May 2 continued
Military Sites Archaeology, continued
2:20 to
2:40 pm
Unearthing 18th-century Food Remains at Fort Stanwix National
Monument
Amy Roache-Fedchenko (Fort Stanwix National Monument)
2:40 to
3:00 pm
Buttons, Buckles and Broken Pots: Archaeology of the War of 1812
at Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown, NY
Susan Maguire (SUNY Buffalo State)
3:00 to
3:10 pm
discussion
3:10 to
3:30 pm
coffee break
3:30 to
3:50 pm
Digitally Preserving the Past: 3D Laser Scanning Architecture to
Artifacts
Michael “Bodhi” Rogers (Ithaca College) & Scott Stull (SUNY
Cortland)
3:50 to
4:10 pm
Interpreting Broken Arrow Points
William Engelbrecht (SUNY Buffalo State)
4:10 to
4:30 pm
Establishing a Context for Understanding Late Prehistoric
Agriculture in the Mid-Hudson Valley
John P. Hart (New York State Museum)
4:30 to
5:10 pm
Archaeological Investigations at the New Hampton Site, Orange
County, New York
Lucy Lewis Johnson, Sarah T. Mincer, & Penelope H. Duus (Vassar
College)
5:10 to
5:20 pm
discussion
Sunday, May 3
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Archaeology, continued
8:30 to
8:50 am
Understanding Site Activities through an Analysis of Ground Stone
Tools: A Case Study from Two Sixteenth-century Cayuga Sites
Kayla Wasik & Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh)
8:50 to
9:10 am
Interpreting Economic Variability from Surface Collections: A Study
of the Parker Farm and Carman Sites
Megan Willison (University of Connecticut) & Kathleen M. Allen
(University of Pittsburgh)
9:10 to
9:30 am
The Zooarchaeology of the Klinko Site (UB 878), Interlaken, New
York
Kyle Somerville (Lewis Henry Morgan Chapter)
9:30 to
9:50 am
Seneca Endurance, Ecology, and Economy: Preliminary
Investigation of Faunal Remains from the 17th-century Seneca
Iroquois White Springs Site
Adam Watson (American Museum of Natural History), Caitlin Miller
(Columbia University), & Siu Ying Ng (Columbia University)
9:50 to
10:10 am
Seneca and Cayuga Expansion, circa 1650-1700: A Small-Site
Perspective
Kurt A. Jordan (Cornell University)
10:10 to
10:20 am
discussion
10:20 to
10:40 am
coffee break
10:40 to
11:00 am
Pottery at Genoa Fort, an Early Historic Cayuga Site
Shannon R. Kulig & Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh)
11:00 to
11:20 am
Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Preliminary Analysis of Wood
Charcoal from Three Seneca Iroquois Settlements (1670-1750 CE)
Peregrine Gerard-Little (Cornell University)
11:20 to
11:40 am
Analysis of Pottery at Two Iroquoian Sites: Differences in Density,
Distribution, and Type
Sara-Ladd Clark, Hannah F. Devlin, & Kathleen M. Allen (University
of Pittsburgh)
Sunday, May 3 continued
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Archaeology, continued
11:40 am to
12:00 pm
The Symbolism of Coarse-crystalline Temper in Early Pottery: A
Fabric Typology for New York State
Ammie M. Mitchell (SUNY at Buffalo)
12:00 to
12:20 pm
Parker Farm and Carman Sites: A Quantitative and Qualitative
Analysis of Chipped Stone Tools
Anna E. Gallagher & Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh)
12:20 pm
discussion
ABSTRACTS
Atkinson, Cory (Binghamton University)
A Preliminary Analysis of Spurred End Scrapers from the Corditaipe Site in Central New
York
The spurred end scraper is a recognized functional type on Northeastern Paleoindian
sites. Yet, this artifact type has not been carefully defined or rigorously analyzed. An
uncritical use of functional typologies can constrain interpretation through a sometimes
artificial association of form and function. Thus, the true function of a tool may be
misidentified based on the morphology of the final stage of its use life. The spurred
end scraper is a good example. The presence of a slight protuberance on the corner of
an end scraper’s working edge is often enough to classify that tool as a spurred end
scraper. This designation assumes that the spur was purposefully created and used for
a specific functional task. This paper critiques the category of spurred end scraper
through an analysis of 28 artifacts from the Corditaipe Site in the Mohawk Valley of
central New York. The Corditaipe Site is a small Paleoindian encampment with one of
the largest assemblages of scrapers in the Northeast. The results of this research
suggest that the spurs were the byproduct of the process of scraping rather than an
intentionally created appendage.
Baugher, Sherene (Cornell University / Finger Lakes Chapter)
The French History of the Dutch Voorlezer House: The Forgotten Past
In 1705, the French Huguenot Rezeau family purchased property and lived in a twostory frame house on Staten Island. Archaeological work revealed Rezeau family
lifestyle. The rich building history with a 167-year continuous connection to one of
Staten Island’s early 18th-century French families would certainly have made the
building worth saving. Unfortunately, this history is part of the forgotten past. The
building (now owned by an historical society) is being interpreted to the public as a
Dutch Schoolhouse (there is no archaeological evidence for this claim). A 1980s
renovation changed the building’s 18th-century residential appearance to that of a 1695
Dutch schoolhouse. This paper discusses the archaeology associated with the Rezeau
family and also explores what happens when there are two different versions of the
past. A challenge for archaeologists is when a questionable authenticity is more real to
a community’s identity than what the archaeological record reveals.
Clark, Sara-Ladd, Hannah F. Devlin, and Kathleen M. Allen (University of
Pittsburgh / Finger Lakes Chapter)
Analysis of Pottery at Two Iroquoian Sites: Differences in Density, Distribution, and
Types
Analyses of undecorated pottery sherds from two sites, Parker Farm and Carman, in the
Cayuga area of central New York State, identified variability between the sites. These
analyses relied on two data sets: first, calculations of soil volumes, and second, counts
and categorization of the pottery. The soil volume data was used to systematically
compare the pottery through examining both qualitative and quantitative variables
within and between Parker Farm and Carman. Pottery density and spatial distribution
were quite different at these sites, as was the distribution of reduced (blackened) and
oxidized (light) sherd interiors. Interior sherd color served as a proxy for differences in
vessel use. In experimental work, a reduced interior has been associated with
decreased permeability and suggests a concern with holding liquids and, likely, cooking.
Differences in pottery density, as well as the distribution and proportion of pottery
sherds with variable interior colors, have relevance for understanding the intensity of
site occupation. Future studies into how domestic activities are manifested in the
intensity and types of pottery used, along with comparisons of the densities of faunal
and lithic material, will further clarify the occupations at these sites.
Curtin, Edward V., Meadow Coldon, and Kerry Nelson (Curtin Archaeological
Consulting / Van Epps-Hartley Chapter)
Problem Orientation and Approach to Lithic Analysis: Examples from Eastern New York
State
Problem orientation has been defined as the “question or issue that a particular
archaeological research effort is designed to address.” This paper examines lithic
assemblages from four sites in eastern New York State using problem orientations
designed to address the special circumstances of each assemblage. Problem
orientation varied from (1) the A. Shafer site in Cobleskill, studied to determine whether
early reduction stage lithics were employed in an expedient flake and core tool industry,
and how this use varied in terms of the locally acquired Esopus and Onondaga cherts
prevalent at this site; to (2) the Fernlea 1 and 2 sites in Coxsackie, examined for the
roles of bifaces in the technology, and whether these varied between the sites or
according to the predominantly used Helderberg or Normanskill chert; to (3) the
Esmond 2 site near Saratoga Springs to determine the extent to which Meadowood
phase bifaces were manufactured on site, and whether local or exotic raw materials
were used. The results are interpreted in the broader contexts of (1) the potential
social dimensions of expedient tool manufacture and use; (2) the diverse potential of
bifaces; and (3) the relationship between a local community and the recently described
Meadowood Interaction Sphere.
Engelbrecht, William (State University of New York Buffalo State / Frederick M.
Houghton Chapter)
Interpreting Broken Arrow Points
Triangular arrow point fragments outnumber whole points on the Eaton site, an
Iroquoian village ca. AD 1550 located in western New York. This study compares whole
Madison points with Madison point refits from the site and finds that the length, width,
thickness, and weight of point mends tend to differ from those of whole points. Not
surprisingly, the point refits tend to be more breakable. The advantages and
disadvantages of point durability are discussed as well as the implications of this for the
development of arrow point design.
Foley, Denis (State University of New York Polytechnic Institute / Van Epps-Hartley
Chapter)
Myth, Fraud and Evidence: Pre-Columbian Celtic Refugees in the North Atlantic
This paper examines the Norse documents and Celtic accounts as well as claimed Celtic
sites in North America. Botanical, genetic, historical and archeological evidence is reexamined and evaluated.
Gallagher, Anna E. and Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh / Finger Lakes
Chapter)
Parker Farm and Carman Sites: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Chipped
Stone Tools
An analysis comprising quantitative, qualitative, and spatial data on the excavated lithic
tool assemblages of Parker Farm and Carman sites presents a detailed representation of
their Iroquoian inhabitants. Excavation of these two sites, on the uplands west of
Cayuga Lake in upstate New York, has uncovered a vast amount of cultural material.
Much is known about Parker Farm and Carman sites in relation to patterns exhibited in
pottery, longhouse orientation, and faunal remains. A detailed analysis of the chipped
stone tool assemblage allows us to explore and compare the day-to-day activities and
village life at Parker Farm and Carman, through comparison of tool types and spatial
patterning. This study identified the excavated stone tools present at the site in terms
of functionality in order to highlight areas of activity at the site, such as meat
processing, tool production, and cooking. A stylistic analysis of projectile points defined
the various styles and tool traditions present. The relative proportions of tool types
found at each site were very similar, potentially indicating the sites were occupied yearround, rather than seasonally. The differences seen between sites in their spatial
distribution may provide new evidence for the inhabitants being independent
populations, though additional work on other cultural material at the site would be
necessary to draw conclusions. This comparative stone tool analysis utilizes a
straightforward approach to analyzing this Iroquoian neighborhood, furthering our
understanding of the populations’ relationships across sites and with the landscape.
Gerard-Little, Peregrine (Cornell University / Finger Lakes Chapter)
Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Preliminary Analysis of Wood Charcoal from Three
Seneca Iroquois Settlements (1670-1750 CE)
This paper presents a preliminary comparison of archaeologically recovered wood
charcoal data from comparable archaeological contexts at three successively occupied
Eastern Seneca sites: Ganondagan (1670-1687 CE), White Springs (1688-1715 CE), and
Townley-Read (1715-1750 CE). Although still in the preliminary stages, initial analysis
suggests differences in wood species not only between these collections but also across
features at the same site. I consider these differences within a framework that
interprets Seneca practices in the context of ongoing modification of local environments
and political and economic variability across the occupation of these three sites.
Griggs, Carol and Cynthia Kocik (Cornell University / Finger Lakes Chapter)
A Dendrochronological History of Settlement, Disasters, and the Lumber Trade in the
Late 18th through 19th Centuries in Upstate New York and Southeastern Ontario [poster]
Over 600 wood samples from modern forests and sixty-six structures, mainly houses
and barns plus a few corduroy roads, piers, canal locks, and dugouts, have been
collected and dendrochronologically dated to determine the cutting years of the timbers
and structural building dates. Their locations range from Albany to Buffalo and from
north of Lake Ontario to Corning, with felling / building dates from 1706 to 1902. 500year regional chronologies have been established for eastern hemlock, eastern white
pine, and oak species with the earliest pith date of 1496. Shorter historic chronologies
include pitch pine from around Albany, tentative historic elm, ash, and beech
chronologies from west and central NY, and northern white cedar from the St Lawrence
River Valley. Other endemic species are represented occasionally in the buildings with
locally non-native species used increasingly within the study period. The species,
biological age of the felled trees, and construction dates indicate certain aspects of the
history of settlement, environment, land use, and economic development over time
such as the availability and preference of different species, the sources of the logs, the
impact of a growing lumber industry and the construction of canals and railroads over
time. The construction dates also point to disasters, both natural and anthropogenic,
and their outcome. Here we look at several structures across the region, their building
dates, the represented tree species and tree-ring patterns, and what they suggest
about local and regional history.
Grills, Brian R. and Nina M. Versaggi (Binghamton University)
From the Mundane to the Extraordinary: Skilled Crafting and Evidence of Early
Woodland Ritual Lithics
Bronislaw Malinowski, in his examination of chipped stone implements from New
Guinea, described the production of prestige items from ordinary items as
“technological hypertrophy.” Many anthropologists have discussed “skilled crafting,”
where select craftspeople transform mundane raw materials into aesthetically pleasing
objects as an expression of “supernaturally” endowed abilities. The production of
socially valued goods, such as cache blades for mortuary offerings or hypertrophic
bifaces, are transformed from the ordinary to the “enchanted” due to an unusual size,
shape, and/or color of the object. Recent research by the Public Archaeology Facility on
a NYSDOT project in Otsego County identified a site with such an extraordinary
assemblage. The excavations at the Canadarago Lake 1 Site have produced a
significant lithic assemblage of artifacts and debitage that appears to be part of a larger
ritual economy of the Transitional/ Early Woodland and Late Woodland periods.
Preliminary observations of the lithic assemblage indicate an intense, spatially discrete
production of bifaces from locally available raw material. The debitage exhibits
characteristics that suggest knapping by a single highly skilled individual. We argue
that through such skilled crafting, objects were transformed and “charged” with social
value for use within the regional mortuary economy of the Early Woodland people. In
addition, the recovery of a possibly “killed” hypertrophic biface at the site also adds to
the significance of the Canadarago Lake 1 Site within the ritual landscape of the Eastern
Finger Lakes Region.
Harmsen, Hans and Douglas Perrelli (State University of New York at Buffalo /
Frederick M. Houghton Chapter)
Lithic Technology, Site Formation and the Compartmentalized Landscape of the ArchaicWoodland Transition: A View from the Andrew Kowalik Site, Cheektowaga, New York
The Andrew Kowalik site enhances our knowledge of pre-contact land use in the
Cayuga Creek drainage of the Erie-Ontario lowland physiographic province of western
New York. The site provides an example of how people used this chert-rich landscape
ca. 1300-1000 BC and how sites may have been formed differently before and after this
time despite the ease of lithic raw material acquisition. This study attempts to
understand when changes occur in the context of an Archaic-Woodland Transition in
terms of lithic technology, raw material selection, and the compartmentalization of
activities on the landscape in the Northeast and as a reflection of the shifting social
composition of site occupants. The site represents one of a cluster of sites that show
direct evidence of the use a primary diagnostic source of Seneca chert—a widely used
tool material in the region. It also represents a segment of a continuum of sites that
display shifting land use patterns by different social groups, culminating in the use of
individual sites by larger, more diverse extended family groups for longer durations of
time. Understanding the social composition of Andrew Kowalik site occupants within a
larger regional perspective is a critical step in understanding how and why land use
patterns apparently shift from a reliance on small temporary camps and seasonal
mobility patterning during the earlier Archaic period, to a less compartmentalized land
use pattern and lithic technology, particularly during the Middle Woodland period.
Hart, John P. (New York State Museum / Van Epps-Hartley Chapter)
Establishing a Context for Understanding Late Prehistoric Agriculture in the Mid-Hudson
Valley
Contrasting late prehistoric Iroquoian and Algonquian agriculture is a tradition in New
York archaeology. Iroquoian people are characterized as intensive agriculturists, reliant
on maize, bean, and squash for a large part of their diets. Algonquian people, such as
those living in the mid-Hudson Valley, on the other hand, are characterized as being
less dependent on agriculture and more dependent on wild resources, such as
anadromous fish. How real is this contrast? To what degree is this contrast influenced
by other aspects of the archaeological record, such as settlement patterns? I begin to
explore these questions with evidence from the late 16th-century Hurley (Simmons) site
located in the Esopus Creek valley. I conclude that the traditional contrast between
Iroquoian and Algonquian agriculture may reflect more about archaeology than it does
about how people lived in the past.
Johnson, Lucy Lewis, Sarah T. Mincer, and Penelope H. Duus (Vassar College /
Mid-Hudson Chapter)
Archaeological Investigations at the New Hampton Site, Orange County, New York
Excavations at the New Hampton Site were carried out by the Orange County Chapter
of NYSAA in the 1960s and by Vassar College Field Courses in 1973 and 1974. The site
has both historic and prehistoric components. The prehistoric collections contain
considerable lithic debitage, projectile points, and other lithic artifacts. The projectile
point types suggest that the site was used from the Archaic Period into the Woodland
Period. We discuss the projectile point types and the distribution of lithic materials
across the site. The historic remains date to the second half of the 19th century. They
were concentrated in one area and consist of potsherds, pipes, buttons and other
household items plus domesticated mammal and shellfish remains. Here we discuss the
overall distribution of historic remains and then focus on the analysis of the smoking
pipes.
Jordan, Kurt A. (Cornell University / Finger Lakes Chapter)
Seneca and Cayuga Expansion, circa 1650-1700: A Small-Site Perspective
During the second half of the seventeenth century, Haudenosaunee communities
conducted significant settlement expansion, including increased use of local satellite
communities and establishment of non-local satellites (which can reasonably be termed
"colonies") in what is now Ontario, Quebec, and Pennsylvania. While these broaderscale processes are reasonably well known, a more local intensification of settlement
also appears to have taken place. Several sites in the Seneca and Cayuga homelands
whose principal archaeological components date to other eras also yielded small
collections of diagnostic artifacts dating to the late 1600s. This suggests that Senecas
and Cayugas intensified occupations of their territory during this period with small-scale
settlements and agricultural endeavors in a way that archaeologists have not previously
recognized. This intensification appears to have been related to a peak period in
Haudenosaunee political-economic power and prosperity. Both distant and local
satellites and these small-scale settlements appear to have been abandoned when a
series of French invasions swept through Haudenosaunee territory in 16841696. Subsequent Haudenosaunee territorial expansion in the eighteenth century had a
very different sort of footprint.
Kearin, Madeline Bourque (Brown University / Louis A. Brennan Chapter)
The Social Lives of Gravestones: Mortuary Practice as an Expression of Middle-Class
Habitus in the St. George’s / St. Mark’s Cemetery, Mount Kisco, NY
The gravestone presents a paradox in material culture. Though erected to
commemorate the individual, it functions largely as a monument to family and
communal identities, expressing commonly held beliefs and ideals rather than individual
idiosyncrasies. Through a diachronic analysis of gravestone iconography and
morphology in the St. George’s / St. Mark’s Episcopal Cemetery in Mount Kisco, New
York, I explore the mechanisms through which social identities were embedded in the
gravestone at different points in the two-hundred year use of the site. How did the
gravestone function in concert with other material signs in the performance of social
identities? What role did the gravestone play in signaling differences in identity
between members of the community, as well as differences between the community
and the larger world? And finally, how did the agency of individuals interface with
cultural conventions and tastes in producing the gravestone? My study draws upon
historical documentation of the cemetery and its community, stylistic analysis of
gravestones, as well as archaeological evidence uncovered in the fall 2013 and 2014
excavations of the site by the Louis A. Brennan Lower Hudson Chapter NYSAA.
Kirk, Matthew (Hartgen Archeological Associates / Van Epps-Hartley Chapter)
History and Archeology of the Saratoga Borderlands from 1680 to 1748
The Saratoga region has been strategically important as a trading outpost for Native
Americans since precontact times. The importance of this area grew with colonial
settlement in the late 17th century and early 18th centuries, both for trade and as a
defensive outpost. Nearly one hundred years before General Burgoyne’s surrender, this
contested landscape figured prominently in colonial warfare. By 1689, the citizens of
Albany built the first outpost along the river flats of the Hudson River just below Fish
Creek. Its construction followed a devastating attack by French and Native allies on the
fledging settlements of Saratoga during King William’s War (1688–1697).
Settlement in the area after this engagement stalled, while several large British colonial
expeditions established encampments and outposts in the early part of the 18th century
in and around Saratoga in an attempt to blunt French incursions. Internal political
struggles over the extensive trade between the French in Montreal and merchants of
Albany led to the construction Mount Burnet on the east side of the river.
By 1730, the New York colonial government built Fort Clinton on the west side of the
river to protect the pioneer farmsteads that emerged after several decades of peace.
The fort served as an important bulwark against the French and their Native allies
during King George’s War (1743-1748). Acknowledging the fort’s strategic position, the
French colonial army repeatedly attacked Fort Clinton between the fall of 1745 and the
summer of 1747. Finally, the British abandoned the post and burned the fortifications.
The presentation is the culmination of historical research funded by the National Park
Service’s (NPS) American Battlefield Protection Program as granted to the Natural
Heritage Trust of New York. The paper discusses the archeological collections from Fort
Clinton now housed at the Saratoga National Historical Park, the potential to discover
additional related archeological resources in the vicinity, and the on-going efforts to
best manage and promote these important historical resources.
Kocik, Cynthia and Carol Griggs (Cornell University / Finger Lakes Chapter)
West-Central New York State Dendrochronology: Dating the Tolsma House
A number of calendar-dated chronologies from various species of trees throughout
west-central New York have been developed by the Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory at
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. The hemlock, oak, and white pine series are the
most robust. They come from eight houses, three barns, Cornell’s McGraw Hall, and a
historic dock. The mid-nineteenth-century Tolsma House in Marilla, New York, serves
as a case study for the use of the hemlock calendar-dated chronology to determine
dates of construction and building modification. The house includes timbers from
multiple species that are common to the region, and their dendrochronological record
complements previous documentation that revealed a number of owners and
mentioned, but did not give dates for, two additions to the original structure. Further,
the presence of more than one locally non-native species in the additions and
renovations indicated significant lumber transport into the region via the Erie Canal,
railway, and sea transport in the latter half of the 19th into the 20th centuries. This
hemlock chronology adds to the regional hemlock chronology for west-central NY.
Kulig, Shannon R. and Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh / Finger Lakes
Chapter)
Pottery at Genoa Fort, an Early Historic Cayuga Site
This paper will provide a descriptive analysis of pottery collected at Genoa Fort, a
Cayuga site in central New York State. Occupied from 1600 to 1620, this fortified
village is an early historic Cayuga settlement east of Cayuga Lake. However, the
position of Genoa Fort in the eastern village sequences and more generally, Cayuga
development, remains uncertain. Traditionally, the analysis of Iroquois pottery
decoration helps archaeologists define village chronologies and regional interaction.
Pottery provides an effective medium from which to understand the associations
between stylistic variability and group affiliation. Those who discuss Genoa Fort and
the Cayuga transition from the protohistoric to historic phase (Niemczycki 1984, DeOrio
1980) suggest that more finite conclusions will develop as research data becomes
available. Although more recent studies have moved away from defining Iroquois
ethnic trajectories (Hart and Engelbrecht 2011), they continue to use pottery decoration
to infer social interactions and relationships between people. In an effort to increase
the data available for comparative analysis with other Iroquois villages, we examined a
large collection of potsherds from Genoa Fort. This analysis builds on existing
knowledge and methods to describe both generalized pottery types based on diagnostic
features and specific attributes identified in Genoa Fort pots vessel thickness, decorative
techniques, and various rim characteristics.
Lowery, Darrin L. (Smithsonian Institution)
The Delmarva Adena-Hopewell Continuum and the Woodland Period
On the Delmarva Peninsula and at sites around the Chesapeake Bay, a mixture of
Adena and Hopewell items have been found associated with archaeological features
containing diagnostic Fox Creek artifacts. Absolute ages in the region suggest that Fox
Creek assemblages can date between 450 calBC and 100 calAD. It would seem that
Fox Creek within the Delmarva / Chesapeake Bay area actually pre-dates the
“traditional time frame” noted in the Northeast by several centuries. There is also a
major dichotomy between burial assemblages and assemblages noted at living /
domestic sites. Analyses of the assemblages and the sites have provided new insights
into local burial treatments, the regional distribution of moundbuilder artifacts, as well
as differential variation in artifact “killing” techniques within the Delmarva AdenaHopewell continuum. In a regional context, the patterns suggest that a Delmarva
Adena-Hopewell trade-corridor extended from the Middle Atlantic sea coast west
towards the Ohio Valley, with a trade emphasis on marine shell and fossil shark teeth.
The epicenter of the Delmarva Adena-Hopewell complex seems to be the Murderkill
macro-watershed in Delaware. In sum, the data imply that the entrenched Woodland
period cultural chronology may need some “overhauling”.
Lucas, Michael, Kristin O’Connell, and Susan Winchell-Sweeney (New York
State Museum / Van Epps-Hartley Chapter)
An Online Finding Aid for the Historical Archaeology Collections at the New York State
Museum: A Summary, Future Goals, and some Highlights from the Collection
The historical archaeology collection at the New York State Museum has grown
tremendously since 2000. With this expansion, the position of Curator of Historical
Archaeology was created in 2005 to develop the tremendous research potential of the
collections from Albany and elsewhere in the state. Under the direction of Dr. Charles
Fisher, the Museum acquired over 2 million artifacts from the South Street Seaport
Museum in 2006, more than doubling the size of the collection. Currently there are
over 600 historical archaeology collections at the museum presenting both challenges
and opportunities for future research and public outreach. In 2014, the Research and
Collections Division began a long-term project to make the collection more accessible
through an online finding aid. This paper will summarize the finding aid goals and what
we have accomplished thus far. We will also present some details about the collection
and our future plans.
Maguire, Susan (State University of New York Buffalo State / Frederick M. Houghton
Chapter)
Buttons, Buckles and Broken Pots: Archaeology of the War of 1812 at Old Fort Niagara,
Youngstown, NY
Excavations of a War of 1812 soldiers’ barracks at Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown, NY
have revealed important features and artifacts from the War of 1812. The Niagara
Frontier experienced a number of battles of the War of 1812 and Old Fort Niagara
served as the American headquarters for the Army of the Center early in the war. After
December 19, 1813, the fort served as the regional headquarters for the British military.
Material culture from these excavations includes material culture of military life such as
buttons, cap plates, and cartridge box belt buckles along with items of everyday life
including ceramics, building materials, and faunal remains. This research examines the
material culture from these excavations and seeks to better understand both the
American and British occupations of the fort.
Mitchell, Ammie M. (State University of New York at Buffalo / Frederick M. Houghton
Chapter)
The Symbolism of Coarse-crystalline Temper in Early Pottery: A Fabric Typology for
New York State
This paper illustrates how important social information can be gained from studies of
technological style. The author outlines a method of analysis based on Native American
color symbolism, standardized fabric attributes, and basic geologic terms. This process
of analysis replaces the existing and problematic descriptive system currently in use in
New York State. The theoretical and methodological approach proposed by this study
will allow archaeologists to gather more technological information from previously and
newly excavated ceramic material then traditional methods. This study also looks at
the physical and symbolic properties of coarse-crystalline temper and why it may have
been valued by ancient potters. This paper concludes that traditional aspects of
vessels: surface treatment, vessel morphology, and decoration, are not reliable
attributes for study. Early pottery in western New York is more internally similar then
culture-historic types have shown. The results of this study show that early pottery was
a learned technology, actively shared between generations, and centered on white,
black, and red coarse-crystalline rock temper.
Morton, Ann (Morton Archaeological Research Services / Lewis Henry Morgan
Chapter)
A Tale of Two Middens: A Story about House Clearances at the Wilder Farm, South
Bristol, Ontario County and the Blaker Farm, Macedon Center, Wayne County, New York
Sometimes small archaeological discoveries can open an unexpected window to broad
historical events. This is a tale of two middle class farm families in the rural counties of
Upstate New York and how they put names and faces to the rise of the consumer
culture, the developing mortgage and credit industry, the shift from self-sufficient
farmers to agribusiness and the economic crises of 1893 and 1896.
Roache-Fedchenko, Amy (Fort Stanwix National Monument / Member at Large)
Unearthing 18th-century Food Remains at Fort Stanwix National Monument
Archeologists with the National Park Service recently excavated the first eighteenthcentury feature to be uncovered at the park since 1975. The trash pit produced a large
number of animal bones along with other small pieces of refuse dating to the
eighteenth century. Analyzing the animal bones provided insight to the diet and discard
practices of those who lived at Fort Stanwix during its American occupation. These
excavations also provided clues to the integrity of the site following the massive
undertaking to reconstruct the fort on its original location.
Rogers, Michael “Bodhi” (Ithaca College / Finger Lakes Chapter) and Scott Stull
(State University of New York at Cortland / Finger Lakes Chapter)
Digitally Preserving the Past: 3D Laser Scanning Architecture to Artifacts
Recent advances in 3D laser scanning technology allow for the digital recording of
objects of archaeological interest. Ground-based LiDAR can take readings every 1 mm
inside and outside of architectural structures, and tabletop laser scanners can take
readings every 0.1 mm to digitally record artifacts. During this presentation, both types
of laser scanners will be demonstrated with a discussion of recent scanning of the Old
Fort Johnson National Landmark site in Fort Johnston NY, the Eight Square School
House in Ithaca, NY, and examples of selected artifacts.
Rossen, Jack (Ithaca College / Finger Lakes Chapter) and Kathleen Kawelu
(University of Hawaii at Hilo)
Is the Future Here Yet?: Comparisons and Inspirations from Indigenous Archaeology in
New York State and Hawaii
Our experiences teaching, developing archaeological investigations, and attending
conferences in New York and Hawaii have brought to the forefront a valuable
comparative perspective. The mode of project development, interactions with
communities, and visibility of reconstructions in Hawaii provide contrasts with New
York. Some are based on fundamentally different realities, while some represent
culture change and hard-earned progress. The Hawaiian situation contains novel
collaborations between Native organizations and educational institutions, with
archaeology poised to take a direct role in cultural revitalization. Even the protocols of
public presentation are changing. The participation of both Native people and nonNative allies is central to a progressive archaeology in both regions. The differences
and similarities discussed in this talk may help shape goals for the future of an attentive
and flexible New York State archaeology.
Somerville, Kyle (Lewis Henry Morgan Chapter)
The Zooarchaeology of the Klinko Site (UB 878), Interlaken, New York
This paper examines faunal exploitation at the Klinko Site, a prehistoric Cayuga village
located near Interlaken, Seneca County, on the southwestern side of Cayuga Lake. The
range of species, relative abundances, and taphonomic data were examined to
determine patterns of faunal use at the site, seasonality, and disposal of faunal
remains. While many characteristics of the faunal assemblage were typical for Cayuga
and other Iroquoian sites of the time, other aspects, such as a large number of frog and
toad remains and evidence for canid ceremonialism, were seen. The significance of
these finds is discussed, and the Klinko assemblage is compared with other
contemporary Cayuga sites on the eastern side of the lake. This work will form the
basis for much large faunal study of the Cayuga, with the goal of creating a faunal
sequence for each of the Six Nations in New York State, and from which additional
comparisons and observations can be made to fully understand faunal exploitation from
the prehistoric to the Contact periods.
Starbuck, David R. (Plymouth State University / Adirondack Chapter)
Archaeology and Preservation at the Lake George Battlefield
The Lake George Battlefield Park is located at the southern end of Lake George, New
York, where it was the setting for the Battle of Lake George between the British and the
French in 1755; for an entrenched camp of British reinforcements for Fort William Henry
at the time of the massacre in 1757; for Gen. James Abercrombie’s army in 1758 and
Gen. Jeffery Amherst’s army in 1759; and then for additional British and American
occupations during the American Revolution, including the largest concentration of
smallpox hospitals in the country. The Park thus contains the remains of some 25 years
of continuous military action and encampments. Archaeological field work that was
begun in 2000 and 2001 under the auspices of SUNY Adirondack was resumed in the
summer of 2014, with the ultimate goal of providing a reasonably comprehensive
overview of all archaeological resources within the Park. The continuous reoccupations
of the site have made this survey unusually challenging.
Wasik, Kayla and Kathleen M. Allen (University of Pittsburgh / Finger Lakes
Chapter)
Understanding Site Activities through an Analysis of Ground Stone Tools: A Case Study
from Two Sixteenth-century Cayuga Sites
Ground stone tools exhibit evidence of manufacture and use, such as pecking, pitting,
and smoothing, and provide insight into a variety of manufacture, production, and
processing activities. In this study, ground stone tools recovered from two 16thcentury Iroquoian sites (Parker Farm and Carman) are examined. These sites have
yielded a diverse set of ground stone artifacts from surface and excavated contexts
over several field seasons. Evidence of production and use-wear on these tools
suggests the activities that occurred, including wood working (evidenced by celts and
adzes), fishing (notched netsinkers), food preparation (pitted nutting stones and
grinding slabs), and a variety of tool production seen through many pecked and
battered hammerstones. Previous studies at these sites have identified differences in
the intensity and focus of daily activities. This study aims to supplement those findings
through the analysis of the ground stone assemblage. Comparisons with ground stone
tools recovered from other Iroquoian sites will provide a broader framework for our
interpretations.
Watson, Adam (American Museum of Natural History), Caitlin Miller (Columbia
University), and Siu Ying Ng (Columbia University)
Seneca Endurance, Ecology, and Economy: Preliminary Investigation of Faunal Remains
from the 17th-century Seneca Iroquois White Springs Site
In the summer of 1687, the Marquis de Denonville led a punitive expeditionary force
nearly 3000-strong from New France against the Seneca in what is now western New
York State. In advance of Denonville’s arrival and following a brief skirmish, the
Senecas fled eastward to winter under the protective umbrella of the Cayugas. Upon
returning the region the following year, with their settlements abandoned or destroyed,
the Senecas resettled, forming two new nucleated villages, one of which was located at
White Springs, near present-day Geneva, New York, where they remained until
1715. Since 2007, Cornell University excavations at White Springs have recovered large
quantities of artifacts, plant remains, and animal bone and have identified widespread
evidence of daily life at the site, including hearths, post molds, and trash deposits. The
extent to which Seneca daily life, economy, and subsistence reflect the political
uncertainty and threat of hostilities dominating the region during this period remains
unclear. Through an analysis of animal remains recovered from a large extramural pit
feature, this study addresses this central question, examining evidence for shifting
hunting strategies, regional trade, and daily household practices.
Willison, Megan (University of Connecticut / Member at Large) and Kathleen M.
Allen (University of Pittsburgh / Finger Lakes Chapter)
Interpreting Economic Variability from Surface Collections: A Study of the Parker Farm
and Carman Sites
Parker Farm and Carman are two late prehistoric/early contact period Cayuga Iroquois
sites located west of Cayuga Lake. Past research on the systematic surface collections
of lithics, pottery, and bone at both sites highlighted locations of high-density surface
remains. Mathematical and statistical analyses on a random sample of these previously
identified, high-density artifact areas are performed to discern inter- and intra-site
variability in the types of activities occurring and their spatial distribution across the site
landscape. By discerning where and what types of activities are occurring on the
surface as referenced to known subsurface feature locations, this paper presents a
preliminary model of Haudenosaunee use of space at domestic sites. This research has
implications for understanding the spatial dynamics of economic tasks at Iroquois sites
and the nature of site occupation.
Zarzynski, Joseph W. (French and Indian War Society / Auringer Seelye Chapter),
Peter Pepe (Pepe Productions), and Claudia Young (Independent Researcher)
Fort William Henry Museum’s Mystery Shipwreck Cannons
In 1954, a replica of Lake George’s Fort William Henry (1755-1757) opened for tourism.
Before opening, owners of the replica fortification acquired several iron cannons
reportedly recently recovered from an “ancient man-of-war sunk off the Florida Keys in
the early 1700s.” The cannons were to add an “air of authenticity” to the attraction.
Recent archaeology at Fort William Henry Museum by the French & Indian War Society
indicates the cannons came from a sunken frigate from the War of Jenkins’ Ear (17391748). Furthermore, the study revealed the shipwreck arguably has the distinction of
having the first underwater archaeology excavation in the USA, conducted in the early
1950s by Mendel L. Peterson (Smithsonian Institution) and Edwin A. Link, marine
archaeologist and undersea submersible pioneer.
Enter to Win a luxury suite at the Woodcliff
for the 2016 NYSAA Centennial Meeting!
Raffle winner will receive two nights in a luxury, two-story suite at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa,
for the duration of the 2016 annual meeting! Tickets will be sold during the 2015 meeting, and
the drawing will be held at the 2015 banquet. Tickets are $5 each, or 6 for $20. If you are not
attending the meeting, send in your tickets before May 1st with a check payable to the Lewis
Henry Morgan Chapter to Sissie Pipes, 323 County Road #9, Victor NY 14564. For additional
information, contact the Morgan Chapter at: [email protected].
2016 NYSAA Conference Woodcliff Raffle
2016 NYSAA Conference Woodcliff Raffle
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2016 NYSAA Conference Woodcliff Raffle
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our thanks to
and to
for their generous support
New York State Archaeological Association
The Centennial Conference
15–17 April 2016 ~ The Woodcliff Hotel & Spa
Perinton, New York
The 2016 annual meeting will be the
centennial conference of the New York
State Archaeological Association.
For additional information on
logistics, contact the Lewis
Henry Morgan Chapter at:
[email protected].
A proposed session for the conference will
highlight the history of our organization.
Chapters are encouraged to participate by
preparing a talk on the their chapter’s
contributions. Look for more information
in the call for papers.
Members of the Frederick M.
Houghton Chapter will chair
the conference program: http://
anthropology.buffalostate.edu/
new-york-state-archaeologicalassociation
Be sure to participate in the raffle to WIN
two nights in a luxury, two-story suite at
the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa, for the
duration of the annual meeting!