INDIANS OF MANHATTAN ISLAND 



17 



archaeology of Staten Island, twenty- 

 three arrow points of stone, antler and 

 bone. 



This is an exhibit which excellently 

 indicates the use of the bow in Indian 

 warfare. In the first skeleton, it was 

 found that two arrow points of antler 

 and one of bone had pierced the body 

 and lodged near the spinal column. 

 Another point of argillite had been 

 driven between two ribs, cutting a 

 notch in each. A bone arrow point had 

 struck the shoulder and was resting 

 against the scapula. Among the bones 

 of the right hand, an arrow point of 

 antler was discovered, and there was a 

 similar one near the left hand. Another 

 antler point was lying in the sand just 

 beneath the body and had, no doubt, 

 dropped from it when the flesh wasted 

 away. The most interesting wound of 

 all was one where an antler-tipped 

 arrow had ploughed through one side 

 of the body and fully one-third of the 

 point had passed through one of the 

 ribs, making a hole, in which it 

 remained. The second warrior was 

 also terribly injured. The left femur 

 showed an elongated puncture near the 

 lower end, probably made by an arrow 

 point. Among the ribs was the tip of 

 an antler point, and another of yellow 

 jasper was among the ribs on the 

 left side of the body. Three other 

 points were among the bones. The 

 third skeleton was likewise an example 

 of old-time bow play. There was an 

 antler point among the ribs on the left 

 side. The end of one of the fibula? was 

 shattered by a stone arrow-head, and 

 a second point had lodged between two 

 ribs. Beneath the sternum was a 

 flint point, and the right shoulder 

 blade showed a fracture near the end, 

 caused by a blow of some hand imple- 



ment or an arrow. Near the base of 

 the skull, the end of an antler arrow- 

 head was discovered, broken perhaps 

 by its impact with the occiput. Two 

 bone points were near the lower bones 

 of the left leg. A second point was 

 found upon search among the left 

 ribs; under the vertebra? was the base 

 of another antler point, and two 

 broken points were found beneath the 

 body. 



The positions in which several of the 

 points were found certainly speaks well 

 for the great force which propelled 

 them. The long bows of the local 

 Indians must indeed have been formid- 

 able weapons. Taking into consider- 

 ation the number of arrows which 

 must have been imbedded in the 

 bodies of the warriors, it is perhaps 

 probable that the majority of the pro- 

 jectiles were driven into the victims 

 at close range after death. 



In a small square case will be found 

 the model of a rock-shelter and 

 typical objects found in such places. 

 These rock-shelters, as the name im- 

 plies, are protected spots in rocky 

 ledges, which Indians once made more 

 or less permanent places of abode. 

 Many such shelters exist in the vicinity 

 of New York, two or more having been 

 discovered at Inwood, Manhattan. 

 The most important rock-shelter so far 

 discovered is the so-called Finch Rock 

 House reproduced in a model. The 

 original is near Armonk, Westchester 

 County, New York. One point of 

 special interest is the fact that the 

 Finch shelter contained two layers 

 bearing relics separated by sand as 

 shown in the drawing. As no pottery 

 was found in the bottom layer, it has 

 been inferred that we have here the 

 remains of two different races of 



