20 New YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the sites represented. In nearly every part of New York, men have 

 readily responded to requests for new material, or corrections of the 

 old. Much time and expense have thus been saved by correspond- 

 ence with persons familiar with local fields, whose knowledge must 

 have been sought in any case. The judgment of some of these is 

 that the work of investigation has only begun in the fields in which 

 they work, and in- the state at large this is more clearly the case. 

 The accompanying map and the following notes must be studied 

 with this understanding. It is a preliminary survey, full in some 

 parts, scanty in others, but preserving what is known and making 

 fuller and clearer knowledge possible in days to come. 



It might have been expected that in a treatise on the early homes 

 of the aborigines of New York, more would have been said on the 

 details of those homes. There is no lack of material; in fact there 

 is so much that it would have its best place in a paper specially de- 

 voted to aboriginal life. How forts and houses were built, how 

 water was provided, how fields were cleared and tilled, how lands 

 were divided and owned, may have a definite relation to the dis- 

 tribution of our early tribes, but all these things would seriously 

 encroach on the small space we can now give to the mere location 

 of forts, cemeteries, camps and towns. 



As a rule there is little difficulty in distinguishing Iroquois habita- 

 tions. Th-e earlier ones invariably have brown .pottery, and usually 

 implements of bone and horn, with small triangular arrowheads. 

 The Algonquin settlements are restricted in range, and will be found 

 in their proper territory alone, which they entered almost simultane- 

 ously with the Iroquois. Both were very recent comers. There will 

 be no attempt now to distinguish the earlier visitors by sites or 

 relics. The latter are generally scattered, the former were occupied 

 by several in turn. It is sufficient to say that the camp sites have 

 revealed many unsuspected facts concerning early life here. 

 Enough is known to show the character and tastes of these early 

 tourists, and often to indicate the places whence they came. With 

 greater care in investigation the sequence of their visits might ap- 

 pear. 



