﻿FIFTH 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  I908 
  57 
  

  

  investigation. 
  Several 
  hundred 
  specimens 
  of 
  pottery, 
  flint 
  objects, 
  

   shell 
  and 
  bone 
  articles 
  and 
  skeletons 
  were 
  collected 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  Silverheels 
  site. 
  This 
  site 
  is 
  situated 
  a 
  half 
  mile 
  from 
  High 
  

   Banks 
  up 
  the 
  Cattaraugus. 
  Here 
  in 
  1903 
  the 
  Archeologist 
  with 
  ]\Ir 
  

   M. 
  R. 
  Harrington 
  opened 
  more 
  than 
  50 
  Indian 
  graves 
  and 
  secured 
  a 
  

   fine 
  collection 
  of 
  pottery 
  and 
  other 
  objects 
  for 
  the 
  Peabody 
  ^luseum 
  

   of 
  Archeology 
  and 
  Ethnolog}-. 
  The 
  manager 
  of 
  the 
  farm 
  upon 
  

   which 
  the 
  site 
  is 
  located 
  forbade 
  further 
  excavation, 
  thinking 
  the 
  

   relics 
  of 
  great 
  commercial 
  value. 
  During 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1908, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  the 
  Archeologist 
  secured 
  a 
  good 
  collection 
  of 
  objects 
  from 
  

   the 
  site, 
  notably 
  2 
  pottery 
  vessels, 
  2 
  pipes, 
  a 
  fragment 
  of 
  a 
  rush 
  

   basket, 
  a 
  Tonj-isas 
  tortoise 
  rattle, 
  a 
  bone 
  comb, 
  a 
  stone 
  charm, 
  otter 
  

   effig}', 
  a 
  gourd 
  cup 
  preserved 
  by 
  contact 
  with 
  copper, 
  etc. 
  All 
  the 
  

   pottery 
  from 
  the 
  Silverheels 
  site 
  is 
  Senecan, 
  and 
  not 
  Erian, 
  in 
  form 
  

   and 
  ornamentation. 
  

  

  Ripley 
  site. 
  Some 
  additional 
  excavations 
  were 
  conducted 
  at 
  Rip- 
  

   ley 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Archeologist, 
  by 
  Mr 
  Everett 
  R. 
  Bur- 
  

   master, 
  a 
  field 
  assistant. 
  ^Ir 
  Burmaster 
  opened 
  several 
  graves 
  in 
  

   a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  site 
  where 
  burials 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  hitherto 
  found. 
  

   Among 
  the 
  valuable 
  specimens 
  are 
  several 
  crushed 
  pottery 
  vessels, 
  

   a 
  fragmentary 
  turtle-shell 
  rattle, 
  a 
  bone 
  comb, 
  bone 
  beads 
  and 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  skeletons. 
  The 
  bone 
  comb 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  early 
  fork 
  type 
  and 
  has 
  

   three 
  teeth 
  only. 
  The 
  turtle-shell 
  rattle 
  was 
  plainly 
  visible 
  in 
  the 
  

   grave 
  and 
  contained 
  a 
  handful 
  of 
  gravel 
  stones. 
  When 
  taken 
  up 
  

   the 
  carapace 
  fell 
  apart. 
  This 
  object 
  is 
  of 
  considerable 
  interest 
  in 
  

   the 
  light 
  of 
  comparative 
  studies. 
  

  

  Pottery 
  restoration. 
  I\Iany 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  types 
  of 
  pottery 
  vessels 
  

   found 
  in 
  graves 
  and 
  ash 
  pits 
  are 
  crushed 
  into 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  frag- 
  

   ments. 
  Some 
  specimens 
  taken 
  out 
  embrace 
  20 
  pieces 
  and 
  others 
  

   100 
  or 
  more. 
  Pottery 
  in 
  this 
  condition 
  is 
  interesting, 
  but 
  far 
  more 
  

   so 
  if 
  the 
  fragments 
  are 
  cemented 
  together 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  restored. 
  

   The 
  work 
  of 
  restoring 
  potter}- 
  vessels 
  has 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  i\Ir 
  

   Martin 
  Sheehy 
  who, 
  by 
  exercising 
  great 
  patience, 
  has 
  restored 
  more 
  

   than 
  20 
  vessels 
  from 
  the 
  Ripley, 
  Gerry 
  and 
  High 
  Banks 
  sites. 
  

  

  Public 
  interest. 
  The 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  letters 
  of 
  inquiry 
  received 
  

   from 
  this 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  other 
  states 
  indicates 
  a 
  keen 
  interest 
  in 
  matters 
  

   pertaining 
  to 
  Xew 
  York 
  Indians. 
  The 
  range 
  of 
  inquiry 
  has 
  cov- 
  

   ered 
  almost 
  every 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  culture, 
  language, 
  folklore, 
  

   ceremonies, 
  costumes, 
  customs, 
  arts, 
  industries, 
  textiles, 
  ornaments 
  

   etc. 
  

  

  