THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 4I 



The Algonkian stock at length spread from the Rocky mountains 

 between the 55th parallel to the Atlantic coast, and occupied an 

 irregular territory as far south as the 35th, even pushing wedges 

 above and below these points. Their east and west range, measured 

 in longitude, spread from the 55th parallel to the ii8th parallel, 

 giving them a palmate shaped region many times greater in extent 

 than that occupied by any other linguistic stock in North America. 



The great original stocks of this period seem to have been the 

 Athapascan, Shoshonean, Siouan, Algonkian and the Muskhogean, 

 Caddoan and Iroquoian. It may be that the last three stocks were 

 originally one. There were fifty other linguistic stocks, according to 

 Powell, north of Mexico. Time and research may condense these 

 to ten. 



After the Algonkian people had established themselves along the 

 Atlantic coast and the country back of it, some of the mound-build- 

 ing tribes of the Ohio region pushed into New York, and thereafter 

 followed several waves of the Iroquois. 



The Algonkian tribes left traces, especially along the coast, but 

 within the State their traces, while distinguishable, are feeble ; the 

 mound-building people did not occupy so much of this region but 

 where they did leave any evidence of themselves it is startlingly 

 plain to the archeologist, but the Iroquois who came last and who 

 lived here for the shortest period of all, have left such abundant 

 traces, such thick refuse deposits, and so many relics of their material 

 culture that they appear to have not only lived on the land but to 

 have actually used it. In viewing the remains of their occupation no 

 anthropologist would make a mistaken estimate of their mental or 

 moral energy. 



]\Iany untrained observers have sought to identify archeological 

 specimens found in a given locality as the products of the tribe that 

 last lived in the locality, perhaps in historic times. In view of the 

 several occupations we have mentioned it will be seen how mistaken 

 this notion may be in some cases. In certain places, such as the 

 Genesee valley, there may be as many as four types of occupation. 

 Thus it would be highly erroneous to say that the Seneca were 

 responsible for all the relics found. Amateur collectors must avoid 

 such erroneoits conclusions, though even certain advanced students 

 have made them through lack of means fully to identify cultures. 



It would be presumption to say that we have named all the peoples 

 that have lived within the borders of our present Empire State. It 

 is possible that some other tribe contemporaneous with the early 



