252 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



proper, the whole eastern slope forming an arm that sloped down to 

 the level just above the creek. On the southern bank of this arm 

 were refuse dumps. The east arm was post holed at intervals of a 

 rod, 220 holes being dug. Hardly a sign of occupancy was found 

 except near or along the Idvel. There was no " occupied soil " or 

 " Indian dirt," the soil being in general a stiff clay mixed with sand 

 and gravel and much more compact than the top soil on the level. 



An examination of the surface of the village site led to the dis- 

 covery of a circular earth belt, a part of which was cut off by the 

 lake bank. On either side of this earth ring were pits and occupied 

 soil. The signification of this belt is discussed hereinafter under 

 the title " Significance of some of the data." 



Diminution of the Village Plot by the Encroachment of the Lake 



It is highly probable that most of the village site has been lost 

 by the encroachment of the lake, which eating down the shale cliffs 

 caused the landslides. Certain it is that land is lost in this way 

 each year. The belief that a part of the occupied area has dis- 

 appeared is strengthened by the fact that this section is small in 

 comparison with the rest of the site, by the fact that the occupied 

 soil exposed at the bank is deep, by the fact that the bank line inter- 

 sects a part of the circumference of the circular earth belt and by 

 the fact that the exposed bank shows all along the level top of the 

 exposed occupied soil and pits. It is probable that originally there 

 was considerable space between the shore side of the circle and the 

 bank and that part of the village occupied that space. Village sites 

 upon hills generally extended to the edge of the declivities and if 

 we can establish where the bank line was at the period of the occupa- 

 tion we may say how far the village probably extended. To estab- 

 lish accurately this line is a difficult matter, but inquiries led to the 

 information that from 6 to 12 inches of land was lost each year. 

 Using this assumption as a datum we may infer that the site has 

 lost at least 150 feet since the time of its occupation. The date 

 of this occupation is discussed elsewhere. 



Method of Excavating in the Village Section 



The village section was staked out in parallel and adjacent 

 trenches 16 feet wide. Excavations were commenced at the wire 

 fence 20 feet from the shore line. A sectional trench 3 feet wide 

 was dug and the dirt thrown back. This left a cross section of the 

 trench exposed and the 3 feet of floor served as a working space. 



