22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the same recent period and people. With one statement of the 

 result of his work, Mr Squier may be left for the present: "In 

 the short period of eight weeks devoted to the search, I was enabled 

 to ascertain the localities of not less than lOO ancient works, and 

 to visit and make surveys of half that number. From the facts 

 which have fallen under my notice^ I feel warranted in estimating 

 the number which originally existed in the state at from 200 to 250." 

 Nearly the latter number of defensive earthworks and mounds alone 

 are now known. The total will not be far above his estimate unless 

 he included simple stockades. 



It will be seen that the Iroquois sites formed distinct groups in 

 their early territory. Each of the historic Five" Nations thus ap- 

 pears, but there are other groups as well. Nearly all the Algonquin 

 tribes were near the Hudson river or by the sea. In Jefferson 

 county is a very large group of the Iroquois type; near Buffalo 

 is another of the same character and in Cattaraugus and Chautau- 

 qua counties still another. Camps and small hamlets usually follow 

 the less elevated lakes and rivers, where fishing was good and 

 travel easy. Few sites are found on Lake Ontario, because villages 

 there would have been too much exposed to enemies, and canoes 

 to frequent storms. Forts were usually on high land, remote from 

 large streams, but not invariably. Trails crossed rivers at well- 

 known fords, which became favorite stopping places. Paths 

 varied as villages were removed, and were determined by the nature 

 of the land. When long used they were worn deeply in the 'earth, 

 and some still remain. 



The location of aboriginal dwellings depended on a variety of 

 circumstances. In a certain way those nations termed sedentary and 

 agricultural were migratory, moving their towns every 10 or 12 

 years. When the land was worn out or wood was too far off, the 

 women gave the signal, and the town went elsewhere. Sometimes 

 it was but a mile or two, often much more. Other migrations were 

 less formal. The Onondagas entered that valley a few at a time, 

 and gradually crossed to the west side of the creek, in the first 

 half of the i8th century. In times of war defensive positions were 

 chosen on the hills, and these were quite retired if the nation was 



