THE ARCHKOLOGIC VL 1ITSTOKY OK XKW YORK 637 



As is the case in other regions occupied by the Troquois, an earlier 

 people preceded them though it does not appear it was necessary 

 for the Iroquois in taking possession to dispossess the former in- 

 habitants. Most had departed long before the Iroquois came. Nu- 

 merous traces, however, are found along the Seneca river, Onondaga 

 lake and the eastern end of Oneida lake. Some of the most beauti- 

 ful specimens of polished slate found within the State have come 

 from these localities and a collection of more than 20,000 specimens 

 from this general region was acquired by Otis M. Bigelow who 

 went over the region for fifty years picking up his specimens. This 

 important collection is now in the archeological section of the State 

 Museum. 



It is interesting to note that this center of Onondaga Indian 

 activity, the traditional home of Hiawatha, is even today the home- 

 land of the Onondaga Indians who have a considerable reservation 

 in the townships of Onondaga and Lafayette. On this reservation 

 still appears the national council fire of the Iroquois Confederacy. 



List of Sites l 



1 Camps on lot 42, in Lysander, on the west side of Oswego river 

 at Phoenix. A fishing village was there when Father LeMoyne 

 passed through this region in 1654. 



2 Several camps on the land of D. Porter and A. Haikes, lot 71, 

 in Lysander on the west bank of the Seneca river. Early relics 

 and a little pottery. At this rift the first English military road 

 crossed the river. 



3 Village site on A. Stuart's farm, lot 70, Lysander. Arrowheads 

 and pottery have been found. 



4 Two small village sites on and by the Adams farm on the west 

 side of the Seneca river and another north of the mouth of the state 

 ditch, lot 96. Flint arrowheads and rude stone implements, but little 

 pottery. 



5 Village site on the Hickey farm, lot 75, Lysander, with fine 

 stone implements but no pottery. It is a little back of the river. 

 Just northeast of this on sandy land are fireplaces with a few arrow- 

 heads, drills and coarse pottery. 



6 A small hamlet lies farther west by the Voorhees brook on lot 

 74, and hear this a cache of flints was found. These sites are west 

 of Baldwinsville on the river road. 



1 Based almost entirely upon information secured from Dr W. M. Beau- 

 champ, contained in N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 32. 



