Long Island Excavation Site Report

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Dating
Purpose of the Site
Subsistence
Conclusion
References

Introduction

This report covers the excavation site on the North Fork of Long Island. Due to the limited amount of information and the focus on essential facts, I will be writing as a post-processual archaeologist. The theory of post-processual archaeology emerged as a critique of its predecessor, processual archaeology (Holland-Lulewicz, 2021). The previous tendency in this discipline relies strictly on the scientific method, centering on the environmental impact on the people’s living conditions and their choices in movement and goods’ acquisition. Thus, it requires using scientific data to establish the connections between discovered materials and items, as well as their place in one’s life.

In contrast, the post-processual method puts the apparent objectivity of the scientific method into question and calls for a combination of environmental forces and culture as impactful on society. Thus, in this particular report, the interpretation of the findings discovered during the excavation is strictly subjective, based partially on the existing knowledge of similar sites and the regional specificities. The point of view will be enriched with potential ideas of what the found objects could signify in both materialistic and cultural ways for the community that might have used them. Thus, many of the details that could pertain to the group that likely occupied the excavation site territory are assumed and discussed from the point of theoretic exploration.

The site under investigation is situated near a paved road on the North Fork of Long Island. Its approximate dimensions are ten by ten meters, with one side being shorter (7.6 m) due to the curvature of the road. The excavation has three levels that were investigated (excluding the surface level). Level 1 is a layer of silty loam, Level 2 is mostly sandy loam, and the lowest excavated Level 3 is loamy sand, although a thin vertical strip of silty loam penetrates all levels. Additionally, between Levels 2 and 3, there is a large feature of ash, ash being also dispersed throughout the area. Finally, Level 3 also contains a significant shell midden concentrated in the northwest of the site.

The present report is structured to consider three main areas of exploration. First, the dating of the levels and items found in them will be presented. Second, the purpose of this site will be considered, combining the known information and the post-processual theory. Third, the report will examine the potential sources of subsistence for the people inhabiting the area during the periods corresponding to the level of excavation. Finally, the picture of the site when it was still in use will be described, reporting on the possible importance of preservation.

Dating

As noted above, the excavation results available for this report do not contain numerical data that would help one in absolute dating of all levels. Thus, one has to consider relative dating and rely on the discovered objects to pinpoint the periods during which the particular layer was in use. In the first layer’s first feature, the most prominent items are the copper nail, quartz end scraper, and retouched gunflint. The second feature also has cut iron nails, sherds of stone wear, and porcelain. Overall, the level has a significant number of bones from domesticated and wild bovines as well as fish.

While a more detailed description of the nails could help one to pinpoint the date precisely, the existence of both copper and iron cut nails points to the period no later than the first part of the 19th century, as later nails were being manufactured from steel (Wells, 1998). The presence of domesticated cattle remains also points to the existence of farming. Another important bone – the toe bone of Equus caballus (horse) on the North American soil suggests that Level 1 pertains to the period when the continent has already been exposed to European settlers (Garvies Point Museum & Preserve, 2021; Strong, 2013). Thus, the earliest possible dating is the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century (Strong, 2013).

On the second level, only the remains of wild animals are found, and the crops discovered are all native to North America. A higher amount of quartz debitage and flakes suggest higher use of this material in the creation of instruments, while one also finds a great number of signs that people used fire to prepare food. The dog tooth found in one of the features is an interesting find. It may pertain both to a period before the first European contact when the continent had indigenous dogs, and to the time after the colonization, signifying the wave of dogs brought to the land (Leathlobhair et al., 2018).

Finally, the third level contains a much higher volume of marine animals’ remains, as this layer has a large shell midden – this signifies much closer proximity to water. The presence of quartz projectile points also points to the period of hunting with a bow, suggesting that the layer’s dating is close to the Transitional stage or the Early Woodland stage (Garvies Point Museum & Preserve, 2021). Based on the dating of Levels 1 and 3, one may suggest that the relative period of the layer in the middle is between 1000 CE to the beginning of the 18th century.

Purpose of the Site

Judging by the volume of charred pottery, hunting materials, and animal carcass remains, one can suggest that the purpose of this site was a settlement and a place of food preparation. On the lowest level, one can see a great variety of quartz instruments, which suggests that people were actively preparing to hunt or cook on this territory. While the purpose of quartz end scrapers may differ from one group to another, it was often considered a tool for meat preparation (Garvies Point Museum & Preserve, 2021). Moreover, one has to note the great volume of shells, signifying that people spent much time fishing.

The second layer contains more diverse species of on-land animals as well as several plant seeds. Thus, the life on this site could evolve from fishing and hunting to add plant cultivation. The existence of a pierced Ursus americanus (bear) claw suggests the presence of jewelry, which could be a part of a hunter showing his achievements (Strong, 2013). Alternatively, it could be a sign that a specific tribe was living in this area, and wearing a bear claw was a part of the traditional adornment. Additionally, a dog tooth suggests that native peoples living on this land could have domesticated animals or companions (Leathlobhair et al., 2018).

Finally, the upper layer shows that the community could have been displaced or significantly changed its lifestyle. The presence of gunflint implies the use of muskets, and one can also see the remains of a horse – an animal that is not native to the continent (Forrest, 2017; Watt & Horowitz, 2017). Only the bones of domesticated and bovine animals appear to be burnt, while the bones of wild animals are left untouched. The abundance of sherds points to the idea that pottery was used in everyday life. The porcelain sherd is especially significant as it was not produced in North America before the 18th century, so it could signify the displacement of native peoples and the arrival of settlers (Marchand, 2020).

Subsistence

As noted above, the food choices have changed between the considered periods. During the earliest identified period, it was clear that the people were hunters and fishers. This conclusion can be made based on the animal bones found on the site. However, this statement can also be challenged based on the post-processual theory. For instance, while it is difficult to argue that the people living in this area could be hunters, it is not clear to which extent fishing for mussels, clams, and other types of marine life was prevalent in the community. Furthermore, one cannot establish which crops the inhabitants could harvest as the excavation did not reveal any seeds. The area of the excavation is relatively small – it is possible that people simply did not have any crops in that place while it was present in their lives.

Referring to the second level, one can see that the community likely engaged in farming or gathering corn and grapes in addition to hunting. In this stage, one can see burnt bones and charred sherds of earthenware. The presence of charred sherds implies that the community could develop some more complex meals and move away from a meat-dominated diet. Nevertheless, hunting remained the main source of subsistence.

Level 1 presents some of the most challenging questions for this excavation. It is apparent that mussels and clams completely disappeared from the findings, and the bones of most wild animals do not appear to be burned. The diet of the community living in the area during this time has changed – it included the meat of domesticated animals and certain big game and fish. The abundance of sherds made from stone, clay, and porcelain can also signify that people had a more diverse selection of foods, but the lack of any crops complicates the possible conclusions. Interestingly, the bones of Sylvilagus floridanus (rabbit) do not appear to be burned. It is possible that people started separating the meat from the bones or using other types of preparation for cooking food.

Conclusion

The site was in use for a long time, although its inhabitants could have changed with the introduction of domesticated animals, larger buildings, and farming. Nevertheless, when the site was occupied by people before the European contact, it was likely a tribe settlement. The people were hunter-gatherers; they used bows and arrows and spears for hunting and could have made nets for fishing. They used designated areas for cooking or disposing of bones which are signified by the significant amount of ash in one place and a shell midden in another. The zones filled with ash were also separated by posts (or fences), meaning that it could have been a permanent location.

This site presents some valuable artifacts that, with more detailed exploration and deliberation, can provide an insight into the history of colonization and further add to the history of the Native Peoples of Long Island. However, it does not have any structures that could be destroyed or broken if left untouched. It is advisable to preserve the artifacts without attempting to rebuild or further deteriorate the site.

References

Forrest, S. (2017). The age of the horse: An equine journey through human history. Grove Atlantic.

Garvies Point Museum & Preserve. (2021). The Indian archaeology of Long Island. Web.

Holland-Lulewicz, J. (2021). From categories to connections in the archaeology of Eastern North America. Journal of Archaeological Research, 1-43. Web.

Leathlobhair, M. N., Perri, A. R., Irving-Pease, E. K., Witt, K. E., Linderholm, A., Haile, J., Lebrasseur, O., Ameen, C., Blick, J., Boyko, A. R. Brace, S, Cortes, Y. N., Crockford, S. J., Devault, A., Dimopoulos, E. A., Eldridge, M., Enk, J., Gopalakrischnan, S., Gori, K.,… Frantz, L. A. (2018). The evolutionary history of dogs in the Americas. Science, 361(6397), 81-85. Web.

Marchand, S. L. (2020). Porcelain: A history from the heart of Europe. Princeton University Press.

Strong, J. A. (2013). The Unkechaug Indians of Eastern Long Island: A history. University of Oklahoma Press.

Watt, D. J., & Horowitz, R. A. (2017). An analysis of a Natchez gunflint assemblage from the lower Mississippi valley and its implications for eighteenth-century colonial economic interactions. Southeastern Archaeology, 36(3), 214-225. Web.

Wells, T. (1998). Nail chronology: The use of technologically derived features. Historical Archaeology, 32(2), 78-99.

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