Federal Archeology Report, Summer 1993

28 Pages·1993·2.4 MB·English

by  National Park Service

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Volume 6, No. 2 Summer 1993 ISSN 1057-1582
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The 1992 amendments to the Untilafewyearsago, hiringa
National Historic Preserva- Our Native American contract archeologist was the
tion Act have catapulted In- most common way to ensure
dian tribes and Native Partners in Preservation that projects on tribal lands
Hawaiian organizations into complied with preservation
fullpartnership with Federal andstatepreservation agen- law. Yet this work, usually conductedon aproject-by-pro-
cies. As the National Park Service begins to consult with ject basis by academically trained professionals, often
Native Americans on establishing tribal historicpreserva- lacked the continuity of long-term planning. There were
tion programs, this issue of Federal Archeology Report exceptionsofcourse: the UniversityofArizona'sGrasshop-
opens with examples ofways in which Native Americans per Field School on the White Mountain Apache Indian
have already incorporatedarcheologicalpreservation into Reservation; theArchaeological Program at the Pueblo of
theirlivesandcommunities. Zuni;andtheNavajoHistoricPreservationProgram, which
Tradition and Innovation Oneofthe mostmutuallybeneficialcollaborationshasbeen
with the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, NC. In 1975, the
Preserving the Catawba's CulturalHeritage museum initiated relationships with several Native Ameri-
V. Ann Tippitt and Wenonah Haire can groups in the Carolinas by adding southeastern ethno-
graphic materials to its collections, promoting local Native
MANY CENTURIES AGO, ALONG THE RIVER THAT STILL BEARS American exhibits, providing school and public programs,
their name, the Catawba lived in a large expanse of sharing research, and supplying meeting space and staff
land that straddled both states ofthe Carolinas. Today their assistance. During this time, a special relationship grew
tribal home, located outside Rock Hill, SC, is a one-mile- between the Catawba Nation and the museum.
square reservation.
In 1984, under the direction ofDr. Alan May, the museum
Yet the size of their home has not constrained the size of began a county-wide archeological survey of the Carolina
A
their spirit. During the 1970s, the Catawbarevitalized their Piedmont. major focus of the survey has been the late
cultural identity. They begancompilinghistorical accounts, prehistoric occupation ofthe middleCatawbaRiverValley,
holding pottery and language classes, and taking action to using archeological and ethnohistoric research to identify
reclaim theirtribal lands and gain Federal recognition. and better understand prehistoric Catawba sites. Several
Catawbaparticipated, and the findings have been presented
In 1989 the Catawba Nation, a small community in north- to the Nation. This year, a new survey will identify historic
central South Carolina, formed the CatawbaCultural Com- and prehistoric sites on the reservation.
mittee to protect and promote the tribe's history and arts.
Since then, the committee has carried out many projects in European expansion into the Piedmont brought many
cooperation with nearby universities and museums, from changes to the tribe but one thing remains constant: the
renovating an old school building as a cultural center to making of pottery. The pottery making tradition is strong
working with South Carolina's Winthrop University on and dynamic, saysCatawbabibliographerDr.Tom Blumer,
educational packets about the Catawba for public schools. because it gracefully balances the contradictory themes of
continuedonpage6
U.S. Department of the Interior * National Park Service * Cultural Resources
Departmental Consulting Archeologist * Archeological Assistance
PAGE 2 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT SUMMER 1993
Partners in Preservation archeology.)Newgrantsprogramsnow makeitpossiblefor
Native Americans to acquire these skills through training,
workshops, and contracts.
continuedfrompage 1
Such is the case for the Makah ofWashington State. With
carriesoutculturalresourcemanagementthroughacontract funds from the NPS Tribal Historic Preservation Grants
with the Bureau ofIndian Affairs.
program, the tribe contracted the Canadian Conservation
Institute to test stabilization treatments for archeological
FOR NATIVE AMERICANS, THE MOST IMPORTANT MEANS OF
artifacts. Though extremely well-preserved, these Native
—
preserving their heritage has been through practice. In Americanobjects —foundatOzette,awetsiteatCapeAlava
carrying out everyday activities, they constantly enact and onthePacificcoast needcontinuousassessmentandtreat-
renew traditions passed down through generations. Yet, as ment for their long-term curation. The grant underwrote
the NPS report "Keepers ofthe Treasures" points out, land conservationtrainingfortwoMakah and,duepartly totheir
development is adversely impactingsites that areculturally work, a curator of collections position was created at the
meaningful to Native Americans, and traditional ways of Ozette museum.
conveying knowledge are beingcompromised through loss
oflanguages andceremonies. To stemthese losses, Ameri- But, as collections curator Janine Ledford explains in her
can Indians, Alaska Nati—ves, Native Hawaiians, and their article, there is a need to incorporate hertribe's values into
representativesandallies t—akingthename"Keepersofthe the museum's collections policies. Even as Native Ameri-
Treasures" from the report have organized to exchange cans gain experience in usingmodelsfromthe preservation
information about their own preservation projects. community, they will also have to modify these models to
accommodate traditional perspectives and practices.
Today, preservation work on both Federal and tribal lands
is movingoutofthe last stageofgrudgingcompliance with Non-Native archeologists wanting to be full partners with
regulations and into the first stage of a proactive stance Native Americans need to understand thetraditional values
towardintegratedplanning.Butbecausepreservationactivi- Native Americans wish to preserve. At the same time,
tiesasmandatedby theFederalgovernmenta—refardifferent archeologists will be challenged to make their scientific
from Native American traditional practices even though findings more relevant to Native Americans. Archeologists
—
they both have the same goals professional preservation- needtofindacommongroundthatintegratesNativeAmeri-
ists and Native Americans need to work with each other to canperspectivesintotheinterpretationandtreatmentofsites
define their roles and establish policies and procedures for and artifacts.
preserving Native American archeological materials.
IN THE LONG RUN, GAINING THIS UNDERSTANDING MAY BE MORE
Few NativeAmericans are academically trainedin archeol- important than developing synthetic preservation mod-
ogy; they experience it first-hand as team members in the els. But the models themselves should not be discounted as
field and in the lab. Two of the authors in this issue were agents of change. While not often appreciated, policies,
— —
trained in other disciplines. John Johnson of Alaska's procedures indeed the whole regulatory process can be
Chugachwasabusinessmanbeforeheassumedhisposition modified to accept new circumstances and models.
as cultural resource manager for the Chugach Corporation.
Catawba native Wenonah Haire is a dentist who maintains With time and wisdom, Native Americans will ultimately
her practice in Rock Hill, SC, not far from the tribe's synthesize science andtraditional knowledge. As Hopi Pat-
reservation. Both willingly shoulder the roles of archeolo- rick C. Dallas writes in the fall 1991 Native Peoples: "We
gist,ethnographer,genealogist,historian,andeducator.Part can easily walk in the shoes ofothers, doing as they do and
oftheirsuccess lies in understandingthetechniquesusedby learning what they learn. That is only a small part . . .
preservationiststoreach otherprofessionalsandthegeneral Anotherpart is takingnew information and allowingneces-
public. They disseminate information about their tribes sarytimeforits acceptancetobe integrated withold knowl-
through publications, teaching,modules, site management edge."
plans, and museum programs and exhibits.
Veletta Canouts
Native Americans have the general skills to initiate and Archeological Assistance Division
manage cultural preservation projects. What many lack are National Park Service
the specific skills of working preservation professionals.
(One author in this issue, Senecaarcheologist Robert Dean,
thinksthatallNativeAmericans should haveagroundingin
— —
SUMMER 1993 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT PAGE 3
In Search of a Legacy
John F. C. Johnson
Each April John Johnson boards a Beaverfloat plane to manager for Chugach Natives Incorporated (now the
surveythelandsownedbytheChugachAlaskaCorporation Chugach AlaskaCorporation), where I've spentthe lastten
and itsfive affiliated villages: Port Graham, English Bay years. I've collected oral histories and migration stories
(Nanwalek), Chenega Bay, Tatitlek, and Eyak. At Prince from the Chugach, Eyak Athabascan, and Tlingit natives,
William Sound, he embarks in a Zodiak rubber raft, driven whoseancestorsoccupiedmanyofthesamesitesinthearea.
by a 15 horsepower motor, traveling up to 40 miles of
shoreline a da—y, camping overnight, untiltheplane returns Many of these stories are about families. My own grand-
a week later. Ed. mother, MaryChemovitsky, wasbornonNuchekIsland, an
800-acre plot in Prince William Sound that was once the
'HE CHUGACH REGION IS CENTERED IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND tribe's largest settlement. The Chugach left the island in
and the lower Kenai 1929 when the last chief
Peninsula, southeast of An- mygrandmother'—suncle,Pe-
chorage.ThefirstEuro-Sibe- terChemovitsky died.
rian explorer, Vitus Bering,
traveled through here in Today, the island is seeing
1741, and laterexplorers, in- new life. A feasibility study
cluding Captain Cook and plannedfor—FortSt.Constan-
George Vancouver, wrote tine/Helen built here by
the Russians and the Aleuts
dramatic accounts of their —
voyages through the Sound. in the 1790s will look at
Between 300and400sites possibly adaptingitasacen-
Native Alaskan villages and tertostimulatenativeculture
fishing camps, rock paint- and attract passing cruise
ings, trappers' cabins, and ships (afew years laterthese
—
Russian settlements mark same Russians erected Fort
Ross, north of San Fran-
the rich, 4,000- to 5,000-
year-old cultural landscape. ChiefPeterChimovitskyandfamilyatNuchek. photobydr.barbour(1909?) cisco, which has been com-
pletely restored). TheChugach Heritage Foundation, setup
by the corporation to preserve, promote, and educate the
Most sites have been located and recorded in the past 12 region's Native Americans, is helping fund the Fort St.
years through the systematic survey of the shorelines and Constantine/Helen restoration project.
We
forest fringe. are in the process of preparing National
Register and National Landmark nominations for many of THEFORTSITEHASARICHARCHEOLOGICALRECORD;ROOTMASS
these sites, but meanwhile I stay in contact with members thrownupfromgiantdowned SitkaSpruce has yielded
ofthe Chugach villages, who are sometimes also relatives, Russian trade beads, harmonicas, planks, pilings, pottery,
tosurveylandsnotyetexamined,estimatedtobealittleover and metallurgical items from a blacksmith shop. The arti-
halfofthe holdings. facts, which we collected toprevent lootingand vandalism,
arebeingtemporarilyhousedatafacility inAnchorageuntil
After attending college (as a business major) I worked two a university orotherorganization can be found toassist in a
yearsforthe BureauofIndian AffairsandtheNational Park salvage excavation.
Service locating and identifying sites described in the ar-
chives and oral histories of Native Alaskans. These early The archeological record of the Chugach region has been
surveys, done in haste from helicopters and boats, missed subjected to a number of natural and cultural disasters. On
overhalfofthesitesthatIlaterrelocatedascultural resource Good Friday of 1964, the Sound was the epicenterofNorth
America's largest recorded earthquake, setting off a tidal
PAGE 4 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT SUMMER 1993
mountaintops emerging out of the ice.
Thus these travelers settled along the
outer ice-free shores of the Sound. As
the ice retreated, so did the Chugach.
They followed the ice and animals as
they retreated deep into the heart of
PrinceWilliam Sound.
RecordedbyJohnJohnson
© ChugachAlaska Corporation
Origin of the Name Chugach The ChugachHeritageFoundationhas
published a number oforal histories,
includingChugachLegends,EyakLeg-
ends,andEnglishBayandPortGraham
OralhistoryfromthelateJohnKalash- alongthePacificOcean, whenoneman
AlutiiqPlantLore.Proceedsfromthese
nikoff, Aleutelderfrom NuchekIsland cried out "CHU-GA CHU-GA ('hurry
publications support scholarship and
hurry'), let's go see what that black
LONG AGO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND WAS preservationprograms. Formoreinfor-
thing is sticking out ofthe ice."
covered by a solid sheet of ice which mation, contact John Johnson at the
extended over the bays and mountains. Sothehunterspaddledcloserandcloser addressandphone in hisarticle.
One day native hunters were kayaking to see what it was. It turned out to be
wavethatkilledmanypeople.Oneislandrose40feet;others
sank 20 (the quake heaved up a large numberofprehistoric
adzes and stone tools). Many sites, now below high tide,
were devastatedby the recentExxon Valdezoil spill, which
turned red fire-cracked rocks black and contaminated or-
ganicdeposits. Thecleanupwas oftenequally damaging,as
some workers vandalized burial caves. I believe that the
$100 penalty levied against the vandals under the Archeo-
^#^&i&g&080
logical Resources Protection Act was too light given the
nature ofthe transgressions.
To mask sites from the casual visitor, surface artifacts will
be collected and inventoried. We also plan to recruit villag-
ersas stewardstomonitorsites.Restorationmoneyfromthe 4&
Valdezincidentmaybeusedtobuildmini-culturecentersin
the villages, where the artifacts could be displayed.
Recently, I initiated the return of the remains of nearly 50
individuals from the University of Pennsylvania Museum
and the Smithsonian Institution. We intend to rebury them
in the original locations from which they were taken. In
some cases, this will mean interpreting and recording what
*£m*m
we find after redigging the holes. We'd planned to reinter
the remains this summer, but lack of funds for building
coffins and reexcavating the sites is impeding ourefforts. ? ?1 '
Formore information, orto volunteerforthe FortConstan-
tinerestoration,contactJohnF.C.Johnson,560East34th
AK
Ave.,Suite200,Anchorage, 99503-4196.Phone(907)
563-8866.
SUMMER 1993 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT PAGE 5
A Makah
Lifetime with the Collections
Janine Ledford
IMAGINE A MAPOFWASHINGTON STATEAND MARK THE MOST ThisJune,thegeneralpublicgotaglimpseofthecollections
northwestern point. This is wherethe Makah Indian Res- systemduringopen houseforournew storagefacility, built
ervation is located. I work at the Makah Cultural and Re- with $1.5 million from our tribal council, private founda-
searchCenter(alsocalledtheMakahMuseum), afacility in tions, andtheNational EndowmentfortheHumanities. The
the Village ofNeah Bay that houses an exhibit gallery, gift facilitywillallowustocentralizethecollections,whichover
shop, and collections laboratory. the past 20 years have been scattered among several build-
ings. This made research difficult and maintenance prob-
Growinguponthereservation, Iworkedas ayoung weaver lematic due to the lack ofenvironmental controls.
making replicas forthe center. Now, as an adult, I find new
challenges ascuratorofcollections here. It is fittingthat we THEDEDICATION OFTHENEW FACILITY. WHOSE DESIGN WAS
Makah train ourselves to preserve, promote, and interpret tailored to the collections, was uniquely Makah. It
what is ours. For me, not only is it interesting to work with includedablessingofthebuildingandgroundsthroughsong
such wonderful collections, but even more exhilarating to andprayeraswellastraditionaldancing.Theeldestmember
manage objects made with such care by my ancestors. of our community, Isabell Ides, cut the ribbon to open the
facility.
As acurator, I am in chargeofstorage, tracking, and access
for the collections, which include archeological materials Currentlyweareinstallingshelvesandshortlywewillbegin
from wet and dry sites at Hoko, Ozette, and other locations moving artifacts. Forme, this has tobethe mostexhausting
both on the reservation and within traditional Makah terri- time since the museum opened. A computerized plan for
tory;ethnographicandhistoricmaterialssuchasbasketsand movingandinstallingtheOzettecollection, developed with
sea-mammalhuntinggear;andcontemporaryobjects.These a grant from the National Park Service, will ease the move.
collectionsaresupportedbyarchivaltapes,transcripts, pho-
tos, and otherdocuments relating to Makah culture. In addition tothetechnicalitiesofthemoveandinstallation,
we have to considerthe center's operational needs once we
The laboratory manages over 80,000 artifacts; the Ozette have everything in. An inventory ofthe collections, which
collection alone includes over 55,000 tools and tool frag- isessential forresearch andfuture—projects, isbadly needed.
ments;morethan 15,000houseplanks,poles,andposts—from We havebeen workingon itdaily notasmalltaskconsid-
buried houses; and over 1 million bones and shells the ering the thousands ofartifacts we have been tracking.
remnants ofour ancestors' diet.
Registrationandcatalogingprogramsarealsotoppriorities.
WHAT
MAKES OUR COLLECTIONS LAB UNIQUE IS HOW WE SinceweareinvolvedinpreservingMakahculture,accurate
incorporate Makah values. Whenever feasible, our documentation ofour acquisitions is crucial.
objects areorganizedaccordingtoMakah linguistic catego-
ries,andtheartifactsarelabeledinbothMakahandEnglish. Many Makah people have a strong sense of pride that we
have so many wonderful objects from our past. The Makah
Both old and young people are involved in our language council, elected by members of the tribe, has offered con-
program. It is only natural that theElders in the community siderable financial support to the center, especially to the
are pleased to see the museum promote interest in the collections.
language and in the culture as a whole.
Because the collections exist to benefit both the Makah
Our collections system also reflects traditional values in community and the general public, we recognize the need
handlingcertainobjects.Forexample,whereMakah society toaddressthevaluesandconcernsofthesegroupswhenthey
placed gender restrictions on using specific tools, we feel differ. While we place great importance on empowering
we must honor these values. Therefore, current planning tribal members with the knowledge ofourheritage, we also
calls fortraining both male and female Makah curators. work diligently to inform the public about Makah life.
PAGE 6 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT SUMMER 1993
Tradition and Innovation
continuedfrompage 1
tradition and innovation. At the museum, a permanent Cat-
awba pottery exhibit illustrates the continuity of surface
treatment, manufacturing techniques, and vessel forms that
still inspires Catawba potters [see sidebar].
On the museum grounds, a Catawba Indian village exhibit
wasbuiltaspartofthe400thAnniversaryCelebrationofthe
Roanoke Voyages. This "village" does not merely replicate
aprehistoric site, butratherfeatures several structures from
different historic and prehistoric periods, illustrating social
and technological changes among the Catawba specifically
and among southeastern native groups generally. Anumber
of Catawba were involved in the planning of the village
includingChiefGilbertBlue,AssistantChiefFredSanders,
and Francis Wade of the pottery committee. The North
Carolina Indian Commission, the Metrolina Native Ameri-
can Association, and Arnold Richardson of the Haliwa-
Saponi (aNorth Carolinatribe) also provided assistance.
The exhibit further solidified the relationship between the
museum and the Catawba Nation, stimulating more re-
search. SteveWatts, directorofthe museum's Southeastern The SchieleMuseum'sCatawbavillageexhibit.
NativeAmericanStudiesProgram,beganadecadeofinten- hunters and gatherers, serves as background for a series of
sivestudyontheCatawba,focusingonaboriginaltechnolo- adult and teachers' workshops at the museum's Catawba
gies. Thisresearch, alongwithethnographicdescriptionsof village. The school program "Indians of North Carolina"
The Living Tradition of Catawba Pottery pottery.Recentlyasmallbowlacquired
at publ—ic sale was shown to its original
maker 50 years after she had signed
THECATAWBAPOTTERYMAKINGTRADITION ofthetribe'sintegrity andidentity.The and dated it! She was delighted and so
has played a major role in the survival Schiele Museum, through its collec- were herstudents.
tionsandprograms,hasencouragedthe
interminglingofoldandnewsovital to Each fall, the museum hosts the Cat-
awbaPotteryFestival.Fifteentotwenty
thattradition.
Catawba demonstrate their craft, and
The noted Catawbapotter, Doris Blue, eachbringspiecesfordisplay.Thetribe
was invited to the museum in 1975 to alsolendsolderwarefortemporaryex-
demonstratehercraft.Theentiremanu- hibit.ForthelastseveralyearsDr.Tom
facturingsequence,fromthediggingof Blumer, the tribe's bibliographer, has
the clay to the firing of a pot, was lectured on the history oftheCatawba,
filmed. The pottery collection, estab- the potters, and theirwork.
lished at that time, now numbers over
Catawbahistoryandprehistoryprovide
200pieces by morethan 20 potters.
an important and enriching link in tell-
It is aliving collection, with current as ing the story ofthe local landscape, its
wellasolderware.Anyolderworkthat naturalandculturalhistory.Thepotters
comes in is shared with Catawba pot- of the Catawba tell that story through
ters,andoftentheyareabletorecognize theirpottery.
an unattributed piece. This also gives
them a chance to see and study older
——
SUMMER 1993 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT PAGE 7
also draws heavily on this information, combining the re- video ofthe pottery manufacturing process. The video will
gion's natural history with Native American adaptations to also incorporate footage ofnoted potter Doris Blue, filmed
it. The program, which mixes in elements of the tribe's by the museum in 1975. And this June, participants in a
material culture, serves to introduce students to their Cat- workshopon prehistoric house buildingconstructed abent-
awbaneighbors. pole, bark-covered house perhaps typical of those used by
— the peoples ofthe lowerCatawba River Valley.
Each fall, at "Fap-Fe-Isw—a" a Catawba-hosted outdoor
festival on the reservation the museum staffhas achance For more information about the Schiele Museum, contact
to participate outside their normal setting, by setting up curator Ann Tippitt or Steve Watts, Schiele Museum,
exhibits, demonstrating crafts and skills like flintknapping, 1500 East Garrison Blvd., P.O. Box 953, Gastonia, NC
providing transportation, and most importantly, sharingthe 28053. Phone [phone].
spirit ofthe Catawba.
For more information about the Catawba, contact Dr.
Rightnow,themuseumisrenovatingthepotteryexhibitand Wenonah Haire, Chairwoman, Catawba Cultural Pres-
building another structure in itsCatawba village. The reno- ervation Project, 611 East Main, Rock Hill, SC 29730.
vated exhibit will include interviews with potters and a
Digging for Roots
A Seneca Archeologist Surveys His Native Past
R;OBERTDEAN GREW UP ALONGTHEBANKS OF whetherthe firm's minority status has net-
ahe Allegheny, in the midst of a great ted many jobs. "It's helped us out in some
hardwoodforestthatoncestretchedfromthe government contracts," he says. "But on
Atlantic Ocean to the Great Plains. These otheroccasionstheodds weren'ttoohigh."
rolling hills, he says, are wherehefound his
lovefor"findingthings,discovering."Years Still, thecompanyperseveredandthe work
later,hereturnedtohisnativesoilasco-part- ultimately took Dean back to his roots,
nerinoneofthefewminority-runbusinesses when he was hired to survey New York
in the field ofarcheology. State's only Native American historic site,
Ganondagan, in the FingerLakes region.
Theroad home has been abitcircuitous. He
kickedaroundinhisundergradyears,chang- HE SITE IS IN THE HEART OF THE GENESSEE
ing majors several times before settling on valley, homeland of the Seneca, once
anthropology. Dean took his master's at the blanketed with towering hardwoods and
State University of New York at Buffalo, strewn withfish-ladenstreams.TheSeneca
where he began to build a reputation for saytheyareancientinhabitantsofthisland,
surveywork.Di—scountingthe"limitedlifeat and archeologists concur that they or their
the university" and after a short stint at the region's only forebears have likelybeen here sincethe lastglacial period.
other employer ofarcheologists (an environmental firm) With the coming of the Europeans, the tribe prospered as
he launched his own company with African American ar- traders, and the bustling settlement ofGanondagan became
cheologist Warren Barbour in 1980. One reason for the known as a "capital" of the Seneca Nation. To protect
venture, Deanjokes, is his "poorattitudetoward authority." themselves andtheirgrain, theSenecabuiltafortoverlook-
ingthetown.In 1687theirtraderivalstheFrenchdescended
"I had no idea ofjust how difficult it was to go into busi- in force,destroyingthe settlementand its fort [seesidebar].
ness," he says, "foolish like myselfand my partner were at
the time. But you acquire the skills or fall by the wayside." Dean's charge was to look for a house pattern on the site.
What kinds of skills? "Everything related to business "Allofthepastworkhadbeendirectedtoremovalofburials
managing people, managing money. You're basically sell- andexcavation," he says. "People had been more interested
ing yourself and your product." It's an open question as to in finding the artifacts than in trying to identify what the
—
PAGE 8 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT SUMMER 1993
The Siege at Ganondagan Fortress French and their Indian allies, but De-
nonville broke free. His troops forged
to the fort, which he found "well
enough flanked for Savages," thinking
IN THE 17TH CENTURY, GANONDAGAN—IN squeeze through. This palisade ran for
the h—eart of what is now New York 800pacesinaroughoval.Atthenorth- tdheaftenodnecres wtohueyldhbaedatitthseuirrrmoeurncdye.dTthhee
State was a busy Seneca trading set- west corner was a natural entrance, a
tlement. To protect themselves and slope connecting the crest to the low- French found it empty except for the
A grain and a large number ofpigs. De-
their grain, the Seneca built a fortress land. nearby spring could provide
nonville'ssoldiersburnedtheforttothe
on a 30-acrebluffoverlooking thesite. water in asiege.
ground on July 15, 1687.
In 1687 the French army under Cana- A chaplain with Denonville described
dian governor Marquis de Denonville, Ganondagan was declared a National
hoping to annihilate their trade rivals, the town, with the fort above it, as "at Historic Landmark in 1964; two years
thetopofamountainofearth,towhich
attacked the fort, which housed the later,thefortress sitewasplacedonthe
one rises by three terraces. It appeared
tribe's largestgranary. National Register.
to us, from a distance, to be crowned
The fortifications were made of oak with round towers." As the French Adapted from "A Guide to Ganonda-
logs perhaps thirteen feet long, sunk forces approached, about a hundred gan State Historic Site." For more in-
three feet into the ground. Large posts Seneca gathered inside the fort while formation contact the site at 1488
alternated with small ones, all setclose themainbodypreparedanambush.The Victor-Holcomb Rd., Victor, NY
enough so that a person could not outnumbered Seneca nearly routed the 14564. Phone [phone].
—
settlement pattern was where the people lived, how the sites have notbeen well recorded, especially in the reserva-
village was arranged. Our task was primarily to look for tion period. That's what—I'vebeen sortofslowly workingat
evidence oflonghouses." forthelastcoupleyears tryingtolocatesomeofthoselater
sites." The reservations are several hours' drive from the
The longhouse is central to Seneca history and myth. From original Seneca homeland in central New York State.
ancienttimes,accordingtooraltradition,thelong,barkclad
structures housed entire extended families. The Seneca Deanalsocarvesouttimetoactasanadvisorandconsultant
(along with related tribes) were known as Haudenosaunee, for the Seneca/Iroquois National Museum. "I serve as an
"PeopleWhoBuildHouses."Alegendary leaderamongthe acting curator," he says. "I've done the inventory, almost
Seneca, the Peacemaker, portrayed a world of peace as a piece by piece, for the entire collection. There are large
— —
longh—ouse with the sky as its roof and the earth as its groups of archeological materials virtually all aspects of
floor where all nations would live under one great law. material culture in the historic period are represented."
DEAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF A LONGHOUSE, AS WELL AS TRADE Objects from the great forest were built to last. Black ash
beads, Jesuit items, brass artifacts, stone tools, and splints forbasketry. Sycamore forflour mortars. Basswood
ceramics. The find whetted his curiosity, but his contract for cord and bowstrings. Hickory bark for quivers. Sumac
—
like many underculturalresource management puthimin saplings forjavelins. To the Seneca, the forest was the host
a Catch-22 situation. "We're working toward preservation oflife, its plants and animals theirclosest allies.
ofthe resource," he says. "The sites that we find we try to
get people to avoid disturbing. If we succeed we don't get Does Dean think more Native Americans are needed in the
the opportunity, forthe most part, to go back in and look in field?"Yes,definitely,"hesays.Whatadvicewouldhegive
more detail." That's something he'd like to remedy in the them? "I think that archeology is something that should be
future. "I hope we can expand and get involved in analysis considered ifnot as acareerthen at least—as somethingtobe
ofspecificmaterialfromsites.Butwe'relimitedbythework explored during the years of education whether it's high
available. Ifpeoplearen'tbuilding—puttingupnewhouses, school, college, what have you. It's something that would
upgr—ading highways, or installing public utilities of some benefiteveryone,notjusttheNativeAmericancommunity."
sort we don't have the work."
Though he's come a long way since his early years along
Notalloftheseveralhundredsiteshe'ssurveyedaresaddled the Allegheny, Dean remains modestabout whathe'sdone.
with suchlimitations.OneofhisclientsistheSenecaNation "Whatmakesmedifferentfromyourstandardshovelbum?"
itself. Although the locations of many Seneca sites are he muses. "I don't change employers, I guess. I can't even
already known, he says, "there's a tremendous area where fire myself."
SUMMER 1993 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT PAGE 9
News and Notes
Top-of-the-World Planning Customs Service Hands Over Landmark
A
High atop a weathered ridge, overlooking a vast plain of li—kely link to illicit drugs has landed a—landmark prop-
treeless Alaskan tundra, a Federal archeologist has found erty boasting a major archeological site in the hands of
evidenceoftheearlydiversityofhuman h—abitation inNorth the state ofHawaii.
America. Yet—ifnot for preservation law and a tenacious
investigation the 1 1,700-year-old "Mesa site" could have The U.S. Customs Service had seized the 22-acre Green-
been wiped out or left to erode in the fierce Arctic. bankEstate in North Kohala, BigIsland ofHawaii, afterits
reputed purchase withdrugmoney. InJune 1992, thegroup
The discovery of the ancient lookout post, where hunters Historic Hawaii and others petitioned the U.S. Attorney's
probably retooled their weapons while watching for bison Office to turn overthe property under Federal law Title 21
and mammoths, has stirred interest worldwide. "I was not ofthe UnitedStatesCode, which allowsforfeited landtobe
surprised when Ifoundartifactsthere," says Michael Kunz, transferredtothestatefor"historicpurposes."Recentlythat
an archeologist with the Bureau of Land Management. petition was honored.
"What I was surprised at was when I began to realize that
this looked very much like Paleo-Indian artifacts," most of The property is the reported early home of Kamehameha,
which have been found only in lower latitudes. Were these who as king united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. Kame-
ancient hunters related to the Clovis and Folsom complex hameha rV sold the land to Dr. James Wright in 1850, who
of the High Plains or to the Old Cordilleran and Windust hadbeenshipwreckedthereonhiswaytotheCaliforniagold
complex of the Pacific Northwest? If not, who were they rush from Australia.
relatedto?S—iberian siteslinktheera—'sotherknownAlaskan
inhabitants the Nenana Complex with the Old World, The estate's centerpiece, according to state archeologist
buttheMesaculture's origin remains "a$64,000question," Ross Cordy, is an ancient Polynesian agricultural site, with
says Dave Vickery, the Bureau's Alaska spokesman. terraces upboth sid—es ofa stream. "This site is an excellent
example of its type an irrigated agricultural site found in
Onething is certain. IfnotforFederal law andtheBLM, this narrow gulches or valleys," Cordy says. "The surface re-
site may never have been found orpreserved. mainsofsuch sitestypicallycandatefromthe A.D. 1400sto
1800s, with subsurface, earlierdeposits quite possible."
Kunzactuallymadethediscoveryin 1978,whileconducting
a Federally mandated survey in advance of oil exploration Call for Nominations
inthenorthernfoothillsoftheBrooksRange. Scatteredover
The 1994 nominating committee ofthe Society forAmeri-
the terrain, he came across several stone projectile points
can Archaeology is seekingnominationsforpresident-elect
thathadprobablybeen mountedon lance-likespears. Initial
(to succeed to the office of the president for 1995-96),
radiocarbon analysisindicatedthepointswerearound7,620
secretary-elect (to succeed to the office of secretary for
years old, not even close to the oldest artifacts in the New
1995-96), two executive board members (for 1994-96), and
World. Still, Kunz and others kept up the investigation, two nominating committee members (for 1995).
periodically monito—ring the site. Ultimately, accelerator
mass spectrometry —a more precise dating method per- Thecommittee is eagertodevelopaslateofcandidates that
fectedinthelate '80s showedthepointstobenearly4,000 faithfully represents the full diversity ofthe SAA. Members
years older. "That really rocked us back," says Kunz. areurgedtosuggestqualifiedindividualstocommitteechair
Dr. James Judge, Department ofAnthropology, Fort Lewis
Although Kunzcallsthe find "dumb luck," thedecade-and- College, Durango, CO 81301, phone [phone], orto
a-half long investigation was nothing of the sort. "This anyoftheothercommitteemembers: WesCowan(Museum
discovery further demonstrates the importance ofapplying ofCincinnati), Tom Green (Arkansas Archaeological Sur-
good science to land management," says Mike Penfold, the vey), Harry Shafer (Texas A & M University), and Kate
Bureau's assistant director for land and renewable re-
Spielmann (Arizona State University). Nominations are re-
sources. "Had the scientist's role not been carried out, the
site might have been unknowingly destroyed and we would questedassoonaspossiblebutnolaterthanOctober 1ofthis
year.
have lost foreverthis very valuable chapter ofour past."
—
PAGE 10 FEDERALARCHEOLOGY REPORT SUMMER 1993
Thunderbird Takes Wing vidualsandorganizationshavecontributedanother$42,000.
Ofthis, $8,400 is available toward purchase ofthe fifth lot,
With a recent donation from a professional archeologist
but at least another $30,000 is needed to get it.
livingin Utah, thedrivetosaveoneofthenation's standout
archeological sites has reached a landmark goal. Contribu- For further information, contact Sandra D. Speiden,
tions to rescue Virginia's Thunderbird site, totaling Chairman, ASV Thunderbird Site Preservation Com-
$141,000, have now come in from all 50 states. mittee, P.O. Box 462, Somerset, VA 22972. Phone (703)
672-2596.
The Archeological Society ofVirginiatook on the effortto
save the National Landmark site, near Front Royal, as its Footage Wanted for Archeology Film
50th anniversary project in 1988. Thunderbird is interna-
tionally recognized as one ofthe earliest habitation sites in The Southwest Archaeology Team (SWAT), a non-profit
the eastern United States, dating from 9,200 to 6,800 B.C. organization in the Phoenix area, is working with Media
Works, an independentfilm producer in Tempe, todevelop
The site, which was threatened by residential development, a public television film on archeological public awareness.
is being purchased in the name of Thunderbird Research Who's Minding the Past? has garnered support from the
Corporation, a non-profit archeological research organiza- ArizonaStateHistoricPreservationOffice; ArizonaBureau
tion. Fourofthefive lotsmakingupthecoreofthesitehave ofLandManagementStateOffice; SoilConservation Serv-
been acquired, for a total of21.5 acres. ice, Arizona State Office; Santa Fe National Forest; and
National Park Service Archeological Assistance Division.
In addition to $99,000 in grants from the Virginia Depart- SWAT and Media Works now hope to produce a full series
ment of Historic Resources, hundreds of concerned indi- ofpublic television programs, and need footage or stills of
BURIED HERITAGE below the streets of Manhattan. The
cemetery, its significance likened to
nearby Ellis Island, will probably be
African Burial GroundDeclaredNationalHistoric Landmark memorializedwithamuseumormonu-
ment on the pavilion site. The city has
designated theentire five-blockareaas
the African Burial Ground and the
TWENTYFEETDOWNAWOODENLADDER, a century of infill and urban construc- Commons Historic District.
in a gaping hole bounded by the bus- tion. Clearly, earlier foundations did
tlingstreetsoflowerManhattan,acrew notreach this deep. Meanwhile, here and in a nearby site
ofarcheologists labors under a shroud outside the graveyard boundaries, the
"Theprojectoutgrewus,"saysRichard
oftranslucent plastic. Working twelve dig crew has uncovered veritable "lost
G.Austin,headoftheGeneralServices
hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,they've Administration, the Federal agency re- volumes of enslaved Africans' his-
unearthedtheskeletonsofover400en- tory,"saysarcheologistDanielPagano,
sponsible for erecting the building. "It
slaved Africans, who lived and died in wasn'tuntil weactually wentdown formerly with the city's Landmarks
whatwerethen called the "unattractive to put the pylons in that we began.t.o. Preservation—Commission. Over a mil-
NanedwdeYsoorlkatCei"tyo.utBsukitrttshaotf's1o8ntlhyceanftruarcy- find there were human remains." Con- lpliaotneasr,titfoaycst,s ancodinrse,mmnaarnbtlses,ofpifeocoedsof
cerngrewasearlyestimatesof 15 to20
tion of perhaps 20,000 interred in the burials mushroomed to 200 and then mayhelptellthestoryof"LittleAfrica"
"Negros' Burying Ground," as it was 400—in just one corner ofa cemetery (as it's been dubbed), the black neigh-
called, the only known black cemetery borhoods that occupied lowerManhat-
thathad spannedfivecity blocks. Pres-
from colonial times in the United sure from Mayor David Dinkins and tan until escalating land valuesshunted
States. them further north. Before then, they
U.S. congressional representatives,
shared the island's least desirable real
Thefirstremainswereunearthedunex- among others, forced GSA to halt con-
estate with foul industries like pottery
pectedly two years ago during excava- struction.
works and tanneries.
tions for a thirty-four-story Federal On April 19 ofthis year, after months
officetowerandadjacentfour-storypa- WITHIN THE CEMETERY, THERE MAY BE
of study by Federally sponsored
vilion. The building's planners, who evidence linking burial customs to Af-
archeologists and sometimes heated —
knew about the graveyard's location rica although, according to Michael
talks between GSA and concerned citi-
beforethebackhoeswenttowork,were Parrington, head of the dig crew, "in
zens, thegraveyard wasdeclared aNa-
stunnedthatsomuchhadsurvivedover tional Historic Landmark—20 feet thattimerigorous efforts were made to