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Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF363

Coastal Native American Archaeological Sites in New York and Southern New England 12000-400 BP

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Data

Overview

  • Lead: Deena Duranleau
  • Investigators: Elizabeth Chilton, Dianna Doucette, David Foster
  • Contact: Information Manager
  • Start date: -10000
  • End date: -8000
  • Status: complete
  • Location: New York Coast, Southern New England Coast
  • Latitude: +40.50 to +42.11 degrees
  • Longitude: -73.70 to -69.92 degrees
  • Elevation: 0 to 205 meter
  • Datum: WGS84
  • Taxa: Homo sapiens (human)
  • Release date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • EML file: knb-lter-hfr.363.3
  • DOI: digital object identifier
  • EDI: data package
  • DataONE: data package
  • Related links:
  • Study type: historical, paleological
  • Research topic: historical and retrospective studies
  • LTER core area: disturbance patterns, land use and land cover change, human-environment interactions
  • Keywords: history, human disturbance, humans, land use
  • Abstract:

    Information on coastal Native American archaeological sites in New York and southern New England was compiled from various state historical commissions. The data include the following characteristics: Project Area, Project Size, and Cultural Remains, which identifies the presence of either pre-Contact (PRE) or historic (HI) material, or the lack of cultural material (NCM).

    Site type

    Site Type delineates the type of pre-Contact site represented by the artifacts and features identified at a location, which ranges from a Find Spot (FS) (a tool or piece of chipping debris found on the surface or found alone), and a Short-term Site (ST) (presence of artifacts indicating temporary use of a location), to a Seasonal Site (SE) (a site containing evidence of repeated occupation over long periods of time and with features and evidence for a broad range of activities), and a Sedentary Site (SD) (evidence of year-round habitation in form of botanical, faunal, fish and shellfish remains; presence of hearths, storage pits and middens; large variety and great quantity of tool types).

    Time periods

    Time Periods include: the Paleoindian Period (P) (12,000-10,000 BP); Early Archaic (EA) (10,000-8000 BP), Middle Archaic (MA) (8000-6000 BP), Late Archaic (LA) (6000-3000 BP), Transitional Archaic (TA) (3500-2500 BP), Early Woodland (EW) (3000-2000 BP), Middle Woodland (MW) (2000-1000 BP), Late Woodland (LW) (1000-500 BP), Contact period (C) (A.D. 1500-1620), and sites of unknown temporal affiliation (U).

    Activities

    The activities represented by the artifacts recovered from the sites include: lithic tool repair (LTR) (chipping debris), lithic workshop (LTW) (chipping debris, hammerstones, cores), hunting (HU) (faunal material and/or projectile points), fishing (FI) (net weights, fish hooks, fish bone), shellfish gathering (SG) (presence of shell), plant gathering (PG) (presence of charred seeds and/or nuts), food processing (FP) (bifaces, scrapers, knives, blades, and other lithic tools, fauna, shellfish, botanical remains), cooking (CK) (hearth, steatite, fire-cracked rock [fcr], burnt faunal and botanical remains, pottery), storage (ST) (pottery, pit feature, steatite), disposal (DI) (midden, pit feature), horticulture (HO) (maize, hoes), burial (BU), and ceremonial (CE) (presence of exotic items, pendants, decorative artifacts).

    Locations

    The locations of the archaeological excavations on file at the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York State Historical commissions were mapped onto digital United States Geological Survey (USGS) Quadrangle maps. Linking these locations to individual site characteristics can show change or patterns both through time and synchronically in how pre-Contact groups utilized the coastal southeastern New England and Long Island, New York landscape.

    NOTE: To protect the integrity of archaeological sites, only site towns are provided; no specific geographic coordinates are given.

  • Methods:

    Coastal Massachusetts

    Data for coastal Massachusetts was obtained from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) in Boston, a consultation with the State Archaeologist, Brona Simon, and examination of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) reports. The CRM reports document subsurface testing for coastal Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, the Buzzard’s Bay region, and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard on file at the Commission as of August 2004. These reports include intensive surveys, site examinations, data recovery excavations, field school projects, National Park Service (NPS) surveys, Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) overviews, and reports on Massachusetts Archaeological Society (MAS) investigations and collections.

    Rhode Island

    Rhode Island data was obtained from The Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) in Providence, which houses the CRM reports for the state, and consultation with Dr. Paul Robinson, the State Archaeologist. Sources of information include intensive surveys, site examinations, data recoveries, and field school projects at the RIHPHC as of February 2005. Another source of information was the Public Archaeology Laboratory, a CRM firm located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

    Connecticut

    Information for Connecticut was obtained through State Archaeologist, Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni, in Storrs, Connecticut, and examination of intensive surveys, site examinations, and data recovery excavation reports for coastal Connecticut housed in the Dodd Research Center as of May 2005, on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs. All editions of The Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut were also examined.

    New York

    Douglas Mackey at the New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) in Albany, which houses all of the CRM reports of projects conducted in New York, was consulted. Site examination and data recovery excavations conducted in coastal New York as of June 2005, and the Bulletin of the New York Archaeological Association were studied for information.

    For each of the states, a range of master and doctoral dissertations and relevant textbooks was investigated.

    Site surveys

    Because the different state agencies have slightly different ways of referring to site types, the MHC designations are used for consistency. For each state, intensive (locational) surveys are conducted by CRM archaeologists on parcels of land thought to contain archaeological resources because of favorable environmental conditions or because a known site is located either on the property or in close proximity to the project area. If these preliminary investigations result in the identification of archaeological resources deemed significant by researchers and the state governing agency (MHC, RIHPHC, Connecticut State Archaeologist, NYOPRHP), and the area of disturbance cannot be changed, a site examination will be conducted on the site to determine its boundaries, temporal association, integrity, the activities that occurred at the site, and its eligibility for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Upon completion of the site examination, if the archaeological resources are deemed potentially eligible for the Register and avoidance of the site cannot be insured, the state agency may require data recovery excavations, during which the site is placed in a temporal, local, and regional context. These excavations are conducted to answer questions about how the site is spatially patterned, how the activities being carried out at the site may have changed through time, and how this site fits in with other sites excavated in the area and in the region.

  • Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

  • Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

  • Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

  • Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

  • License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

  • Citation: Duranleau D. 2023. Coastal Native American Archaeological Sites in New York and Southern New England 12000-400 BP. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF363 (v.3). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/067280d6ba72bfeec79d1f583a77be1f.

Detailed Metadata

hf363-01: coastal archaeological sites

  1. project_ar: archaeological site name
  2. project_si: comments on the size of the site
  3. town_state: town and state where site is located
  4. survey_type: survey type
    • line: linear
    • point: point
    • polygon: area
  5. precontact: Native American material culture (12,000 – 450 years Before Present [BP])
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  6. historic: Euro-American material culture (post 450 BP)
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  7. ncm: no cultural material
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  8. findspot: tool or piece of chipping debris found on the surface or found alone
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  9. short_term: artifacts indicating temporary use of a site, may have been used more than once
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  10. seasonal: repeated occupation with features and evidence of broad range of activities
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  11. sedentary: evidence of year-round habitation, hearths, storage pits, middens, large quantity and variety of artifact types
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  12. paleo: early Paleoindian; material dated 12,000-10,000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  13. archearl: early archaic material dated 10,000-8000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  14. archmid: middle archaic material dated 8000-5000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  15. archlate: late archaic material dated 5000-3000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
  16. woodtran: woodland transition dated 3500-2500 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  17. woodearl: early woodland material dated 3000-2000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  18. woodmid: middle woodland material dated 2000-1000 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  19. woodlate: late woodland material dated 1000-450 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  20. contact_pe: contact period material dated 450-300 BP
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  21. unknown: temporal affiliation could not be determined because no diagnostic materials were found
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  22. lithic_wor: lithic workshop, chipping debris, hammerstones, cores
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  23. hunting: faunal material and/or projectile points
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  24. fishing: net weights, fishhooks, fish bone/scales
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  25. shellfish: shell
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  26. plant_gath: charred seeds and/or nuts
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  27. food_proce: food processing: bifaces, scrapers, knives, etc, fauna, shellfish, plant remains
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  28. cooking: hearth, steatite, fire-cracked rock, charcoal, pottery, charred remains
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  29. storage: pottery, pit feature, steatite
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  30. disposal: pottery, pit feature, steatite
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  31. horticultu: pottery, pit feature, steatite
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  32. burial: pottery, pit feature, steatite
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  33. ceremonial: exotic items, pendants, decorative artifacts
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
  34. comments: notes to researchers
    • 0: confirmed absence
    • 1: confirmed presence
    • 2: two confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 3: three confirmed presences in linear or area surveys
    • 4: four confirmed presences in linear or area surveys