﻿520 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Post 
  holes 
  and 
  lodge 
  sites 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  post 
  holes, 
  that 
  is 
  small 
  holes 
  from 
  18" 
  to 
  24" 
  

   deep, 
  filled 
  with 
  substances 
  somewhat 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  surround- 
  

   ing 
  soil, 
  were 
  discovered 
  in 
  the 
  village 
  layers 
  [see 
  diagram 
  of 
  pits, 
  

   pi. 
  4]. 
  The 
  positions 
  of 
  these 
  holes 
  were 
  carefully 
  charted 
  and 
  were 
  

   found 
  to 
  bear 
  a 
  certain 
  relation 
  one 
  to 
  the 
  other. 
  The 
  character 
  

   of 
  the 
  soil 
  inclosed 
  by 
  lines 
  bounding 
  these 
  holes 
  was 
  carefully 
  noted 
  

   and 
  seemed 
  to 
  indicate 
  the 
  dirt 
  floors 
  of 
  lodges. 
  The 
  post 
  holes 
  

   therefore, 
  were 
  probably 
  the 
  holes 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  stakes 
  that 
  formed 
  

   the 
  uprights 
  of 
  dwellings. 
  Although 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  lodge 
  sites, 
  so 
  

   called, 
  were 
  discovered 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  thought 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  not 
  

   other 
  lodges 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  Mortuary 
  customs 
  indicated 
  

  

  The 
  areas 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  graves 
  were 
  large 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  

   space 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  skeletons. 
  In 
  general 
  the 
  bones 
  rested 
  in 
  

   the 
  center 
  or 
  at 
  one 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  excavation, 
  leaving 
  a 
  wide 
  space 
  

   about 
  the 
  bones. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  the 
  skeletons 
  were 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  

   flexed 
  position. 
  From 
  these 
  circumstances 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  inferred 
  

   that 
  the 
  dead 
  were 
  carefully 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  graves 
  and 
  arranged 
  by 
  

   persons 
  who 
  descended 
  into 
  them. 
  This 
  assumption 
  appears 
  

   strengthened 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  considered 
  that 
  the 
  pottery 
  vessels 
  which 
  

   probably 
  contained 
  food 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  been 
  easily 
  dropped 
  into 
  

   the 
  grave 
  and 
  have 
  remained 
  upright 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  

   instance. 
  The 
  whole 
  make-up 
  of 
  the 
  graves 
  and 
  the 
  positions 
  of 
  

   the 
  articles 
  found 
  in 
  them 
  indicate 
  the 
  hand 
  of 
  design. 
  The 
  de- 
  

   cayed 
  substances 
  found 
  over 
  the 
  grave 
  bottoms 
  seem 
  to 
  indicate 
  

   that 
  other 
  perishable 
  possessions 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  graves, 
  such 
  as 
  

   articles 
  of 
  wood, 
  bark, 
  skins 
  and 
  fabrics 
  of 
  bark 
  or 
  reeds. 
  It 
  is 
  

   not 
  to 
  be 
  supposed 
  that 
  objects 
  were 
  not 
  placed 
  in 
  some 
  graves 
  

   because 
  none 
  were 
  found. 
  The 
  lack 
  of 
  stone 
  or 
  pottery 
  articles 
  

   suggests 
  that 
  only 
  perishable 
  substances 
  and 
  utensils 
  have 
  been 
  

   interred. 
  In 
  the 
  bottoms 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  grave 
  pits 
  just 
  beneath 
  or 
  

   mingled 
  with 
  the 
  animal 
  phosphate 
  were 
  layers 
  of 
  charred 
  vege- 
  

   table 
  matter, 
  either 
  bark, 
  grass 
  or 
  reeds. 
  From 
  this 
  fact 
  it 
  would 
  

   appear 
  that 
  in 
  such 
  pits 
  fires 
  had 
  been 
  kindled, 
  either 
  to 
  dry 
  the 
  

   damp 
  earth 
  or 
  to 
  warm 
  the 
  bed 
  for 
  the 
  sleeper 
  whose 
  body 
  must 
  

   rest 
  so 
  long 
  within 
  it. 
  This 
  is 
  in 
  accord 
  with 
  certain 
  traditions. 
  

   Thin 
  and 
  sometimes 
  almost 
  imperceptible 
  layers 
  of 
  decayed 
  vege- 
  

   table 
  matter 
  over 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  skeletons 
  strongly 
  suggests 
  the 
  use 
  

   of 
  bark 
  or 
  wood 
  as 
  a 
  covering 
  for 
  the 
  bodies 
  before 
  the 
  earth 
  was 
  

   finally 
  thrown 
  back 
  into 
  the 
  excavation. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  cases 
  flat 
  pieces 
  

  

  