(E.) 



iNCIENT MONUMENTS IN WESTERN NEW YORK: 



COMPRISING THE RESULTS OP EXPLORATIONS BT 



T. APOLEOX CHENEY, Civil Engineer, etc. 1859. 



CHAPTER 1. 



INTRODUCTION 



The Indian race, through an indefinite time, held undisputed empire over the 

 continent. Now it has wasted away, and there is scarcely a region, save in the 

 waning shadow of the western wilds, which they may call their own. Even there 

 the Indian withers at the distant approach of civilization, and ere long his last 

 footfall will die away. Another race, another empire now holds dominion. 



Through the unknown centuries which marked the Aboriginal occupation of this 

 hemisphere, there is not an annal to record the successive rise or fall of dynasties; 

 but only the monuments, now crumbling in ruin, and dim in the twilight of ages 

 long gone, to recall some vague and uncertain knowledge of their builders, to show 

 their former status, or attest their former power. This subject, however, in the 

 important connection which it holds in Archaeological, as well as in Ethnological 

 science, has called forth much investigation. Jefierson referred to these remains of 

 ancient occupancy, in his " Notes;" extensive examinations of earthworks have 

 been noticed in Silliman's Journal, in Archaologia Jfmericana, &c.; and within a 

 few years, Messrs. Squier and Davis havfe pursued their elaborate survey of the 

 monuments of the Mississippi valley, — Messrs. Lapham and Whittlesey, respect- 

 ively, have been engaged in interesting explorations, — while Schoolcraft has elabo- 

 rately traced the history of the Indian race. In the State of New York, as early 

 as 1817, De Witt Clinton, made examinations of various ancient works. Within a 

 recent period, E. G. Squier has successfully pursued an extensive exploration of its 

 aboriginal monuments; and the results of other surveys of earthworks in various 

 sections of the State have been published in *' Reports on the State Cabinet." 



The section of Western New York bordering upon the waters of Lake Erie, only 

 remained unoxplored — though the opinion had formerly been entertained that no 

 traces of ancient occupancy occurred upon the first and second terraces extending 

 ■ from the lake; and, as this formed intermediate ground between the territory of the 

 Five Nations, or Iroquois confederacy, and that of the hostile Appalachian groups, it 

 seemed reasonable to suppose that here would occur vestiges of military art in its 

 most advanced state, as developed by Indian warfare, and interesting monumental 

 remains, — the blending types of savage life, — not, indeed, like the pictoral mounds 

 of the west, cr the imposing temples reared by the Toltec and Aztec, in the sunny 

 south, — but which would still add some contributions to our Archaeological struc- 

 ture. 



