THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 585 



Livingston County 



If Ontario county was the most important area in the life of the 

 prehistoric Seneca, Livingston county was the most important in 

 the history of the Seneca of the later colonial period. In Livingston 

 county, after the destructive results of the French raids, the Seneca 

 Indians found their chief refuge. The Genesee valley, with its fer- 

 tile flats, invited them to renew activities in lines of agriculture, and 

 their towns and hamlets were scattered the length of the valley, 

 especially on the eastern side. Here are found the villages of Cana- 

 wagus, Geneseo, Little Beards Town, Big Tree, Duydosot, Ganyuh- 

 sas, Ganadachioragou, Keint-he, Ganasegago, O'hagi, Squawkie Hill, 

 Nunda and many other of their important towns. A number of 

 sites having no known designation are known to archeologists. 



Before the Seneca reached this fertile and inviting region other 

 nations had dwelt there, drawn to it without doubt by the same 

 considerations that made it attractive to them. Scattered all through 

 the valley, on either side of the river, are the remains of the villages 

 of an older people. Relics of the mound-building Indians are not 

 uncommon while at various points are found evidences of an Algon- 

 kian occupation. Still earlier sites are found that yield relics in every 

 way similar to those used by the Eskimo, and at other points are 

 camp sites and pits made by a people unknown to either history or 

 archeology. 



Among the more interesting sites connected with the mound-build- 

 ing culture may be mentioned that situated on Squawkie hill on the 

 old Squawkie Hill Reservation tract. Here, at some remote time, 

 the mound-building Indians had a village and here today are found 

 several mounds. Three mounds arranged on the points of a triangle 

 are to be seen near the home of John F. White, the present owner of 

 Squawkie hill. These mounds contain graves stoned up and those 

 which have been opened by Mr White yielded pearls, beautifully 

 formed monitor pipes, large and well-shaped flints, copper imple- 

 ments and other articles used by the pre-Iroquoian peoples. In later 

 years, just before the Revolutionary War, the Seneca had a village 

 of captive Squawkie Indians upon the hill. It see'ms quite likely 

 also that Indians of this same culture occupied a site near the pres- 

 ent Craig colony where Mr. Crofoot has discovered numerous relics, 

 including crude axes and bell pestles. Many of the later Seneca sites 

 also are built near or directly upon village sites and camps of the 

 earlier occupation. 



