478 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



way each year. The behef 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 

 intersects a part of the circumference of the circular earth belt 

 and by the fact that the exposed bank shows all along the level 

 top 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 a 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 occupation we may say how far the village probably 

 extended. To establish accurately this line is a difficult matter but 

 inquiries led to the information that from 6 inches to a foot of land 

 was lost each year. Using this assumption as a datum we may 

 hypothecate 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. 

 The archeologist examined this cross-section and if indications 

 pointed to the probable presence of objects he troweled into the 

 bank, allowing the earth to fall to the floor until it had filled when 

 it was removed by a laborer. If the indications pointed to a 

 barren spot the workmen spaded ahead until signs of disturbance 

 again appeared when the section was again examined. When a 

 pit was discovered a clean working space was made and the pit 

 vertically exposed at one side. The pit filling was then troweled 

 from top to bottom, great care being taken not to break the speci- 

 mens that might come to light with any trowel stroke. As the work 

 progressed measurements of the pit were taken and all the important 

 specimens labeled and placed in trays for subsequent numbering. 

 The refuse material such as animal bones, potsherds, flint chips 

 and rude implements were placed in labeled bags. A diagram of 

 the pit was drawn and the details of its excavation recorded in the 

 trench book. Trenching was continued until the trench became 

 barren when another trencli was worked. 



