THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 68 1: 



5 On Tuinessen's, or Old Place Neck, there is a large village site. 

 Near the extreme point are shell pits and fireplaces, unusually far 

 apart. Some of the refuse pits here are of considerable size and 

 depth. Evidently this- is a site the date of which can be placed at 

 the early historic period. Pottery occurs, bearing a strong resem- 

 blance to the Iroquoian, though not so marked as that found at the 

 Bowman's brook site. A brass arrow point, gun flints, leaden bullets, 

 a pewter trade ring, fragments of trade pipes, etc., have been found 

 on the surface, and a tiny piece of brass kettle, perforated (perhaps 

 for suspension), came from a shell pit on this site. Trade articles 

 are generally rare throughout Staten island. Iron trade axes have 

 never been found, nor has the writer ever seen any from hereabouts, 

 although they are often mentioned in early deeds. No antler or 

 bone implements have been found here. Graves, with relics in or 

 near them, were reported on the property of the Rev. James Kinney 

 some years ago. Some graves opened here by the writer proved to 

 be those of whites. 



6 Bloomfield (Watchogue). There is no special large village site 

 in this region, but relics occur more or less abundantly on all the 

 dunes and sandhills. A stone plummet ( ?), grooved axes, Iroquoian 

 pottery, pipes, arrow points, etc., have been found here. Isaiah 

 Merrill has a fine collection of objects said to have been collected 

 about here, among which is a steatite bead. An inscribed clay bead, 

 v/ith incised figures, is also said to have been found here. The site 

 is peculiar on account of the scarcity of shell pits and similar 

 remains. Relics occur almost entirely as surface finds. Celts have 

 been found. A fine perforated arrow point was found by the writer 

 some years ago at a spot where Iroquoian pottery was frequent. 

 Objects which seem to be gun flints, but are chipped from native 

 yellow jasper, etc., were in the collection of Mr Merrill. These 

 seemed to the writer to be authentic, and it is possible that the Indians 

 did manufacture these useful objects rather than buy the English 

 flints from the whites. The stone bead in Mr Merrill's collection is 

 pink steatite, thick, square and altogether remarkable. It is said 

 that Mr Merrill had at one time a '' handful " of these beads ; but 

 when the writer viewed the collection, some years ago, only one 

 remained. Other notable objects in his collection were a banner 

 stone, fragments of others and several celts. 



7 At the angle of Watchogue road, near its junction with Union 

 avenue, graves are reported to have been found. The site is well 

 known locally as the " burying ground." Several grooved axes have 



