THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 313 



extensive in early days as the bank has been disturbed more or less 

 for several years, and is so steep that it could be easily washed down 

 and destroyed. Arrow points have been found on the flat land on 

 the north side. 



THE SHELBY EARTHWORKS 

 BY FRANK H. GUSHING, MEDINA, N. Y. 



In the town of Shelby, Orleans county, about 3 miles southwest 

 from the village of Medina, are the rema'ns of one of the most 

 interesting ancient earthworks in the State.' This work is situated 

 at the summit of a slight and not abrupt elevation. It consists of 

 tW"o mural embankments, which are now about 2 feet in height^ 

 parallel, and 12 feet distant from each other. They describe almost 

 an exact circle, having a diameter of 430 feet and an area of 3}^ 

 acres. Two fences upon original " section lines," one running north 

 and south, the other east and west, divide this inclosure into four 

 nearly equal parts or quadrants. Those port'ons of the work included 

 in the northeastern and southwestern quadrants have for many years 

 been under cultivation, and the embankments are nearly obliterated. 

 The northwestern and southeastern portions are still covered with 

 forest trees. In these portions the walls are interrupted only by 

 two sally-ports or openings for passage. These openings occur at 

 nearly opposite points in the circle. The passage through the outer 

 wall is not in either exactly opposite to that through the inner. In 

 one they are 16 and in the other 30 feet apart. To avoid two large 

 boulders of Niagara limestone, the inner wall at one point makes a 

 slight deflection from its regular circular course. 



Upon these embankments are standing trees and the stumps of trees 

 that had commenced their growth long before the Jesuit fathers 

 had explored the region now compris'ng western New York. Traces 

 of a moat which once encircled this work are still discernible at 

 intervals. This moat is broad in proportion to its present depth, and 

 in this respect is not regular. It was probably made by the removal 

 of earth for the construction of walls, and perhaps it was not 

 intended as an additional defense, though it must to some extent 

 have served as such. 



Three features presented by this work add much to its interest : 

 first, it is almost exactly circular in form; second, it consists of two 

 parallel embankments ; third, the openings for passage are not 



^ This work has previously been descril)ed in Sqiiier's Aboriginal Monu- 

 ments pf New York, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, v. 2, 185 1. 



