A Day's Collecting on a Staten Island Indian Site 1 



By William T. Davis 



For over two hundred years farming has been carried on on 

 Staten Island, and it might be supposed that hardly any Indian 

 implements could be discovered at this late day on the surface of 

 the often plowed fields where the Indians had their village sites 

 and grew their corn and pumpkins. 



From this point of view the collection made at Mariners Harbor 

 and Old Place becomes of interest as illustrating how much has 

 been overlooked, and also as an incentive to further research by 

 the hopeful archeologist. Mr. Alanson Skinner found the 

 greater number of the implements exhibited, but fortune was 

 kind to both of us. 



Within less than twenty-five feet of the railroad station at 

 Mariners Harbor, we found a very good mortar with worn de- 

 pressions on both sides. This was brought home later as it was 

 far too heavy to carry about, and it is remarkable that it had so 

 long remained unobserved in its conspicuous position. 



Near Western Avenue, where some trenches had been dug 

 and the sand distributed on the surface, an axe with a groove all 

 around, and a broken banner stone were discovered. In the ad- 

 joining plowed fields fourteen perfect arrow heads were found, as 

 well as a few broken ones. In the same situation were discovered 

 a skin scraper, a broken semilunar knife, a hammer stone, three 

 sinker stones, one with a groove all around, and a pitted stone 

 such as is often found but as to the use of which there has as 

 yet been no very satisfactory explanation. 



The broken semilunar knife is of particular interest from the 

 fact that these implements are not often found so far south, the 

 majority of the specimens discovered coming from New England 



1 Presented April 18, 1908. 



