THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 507 



Chautauqua County 



General occupation. The principal areas of occupation in this 

 county are : 



I The lake shore between the western and eastern boundaries of 

 the county, that is to say, from the state line to Irving. In this 

 tract the principal sites are near Ripley, Westfield, Portland, 

 Fredonia, Sheridan, Silver Creek and Irving. As may be expected 

 there are traces of different peoples and a wide variety of relics. 



(2 The hilly country south of the lake and lying in the townships 

 of Mina and French creek. There are mounds and earthworks near 

 Findley lake and many traces of occupation along the valley of 

 French creek. 



3 The region about Chautauqua lake where there are mounds, 

 village sites and many camps. 



4 An extension of this area up the valley of Cassadaga creek 

 where there are numerous remains near Falconer, Gerry and about 

 Cassadaga lake. This includes the valley of Mill creek running 

 through Sinclairville where there are remains on the creek bank in 

 Sinclairville and on the hills to the east and south. 



5 The valleys of Clear creek and Conewango running through 

 the town of Ellington. Here within the township of Poland, Elling- 

 ton and Cherry creek are numerous interesting remains. Some of 

 the most interesting are in Ellington and along the valley of Clear 

 creek where there are many earthworks, mounds and ancient village 

 sites. In Poland there are mounds and camp sites along the banks of 

 the Conewango while southward on the west side of the creek 

 between Frewsburg and the valley of Stillwater creek on the south 

 side are further remains. ^ 



6 Most interesting sites are found along the banks and the high- 

 lands upon the south shore of Cattaraugus creek, in the corporation 

 of Irving. Here on the hilly lands are a number of ancient sites 

 yielding polished stone implements. The county was evidently oc- 

 cupied from very early times. Camp sites are found not far from 

 deposits of mastodon bones in Sheridan. 



A survey of Chautauqua county leads to the discovery that there 

 were at least three distinct cultures or successive occupations of this 

 region differentiated by very wide characteristics. There seems some 

 evidence also of a fourth occupation. 



The oldest occupation definitely traceable is that characterized by 

 the notched and shouldered arrow point and large spear point, by 



