﻿522 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  were 
  used 
  as 
  graves 
  when 
  the 
  ground 
  elsewhere 
  was 
  frozen. 
  Broken 
  

   pots 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  graves. 
  

  

  Primitive 
  means 
  of 
  excavating. 
  Trowellike 
  implements 
  of 
  antler 
  

   were 
  found 
  in 
  several 
  ash 
  pits 
  and 
  were 
  probably 
  the 
  tools 
  used 
  for 
  

   digging 
  pits 
  and 
  graves. 
  The 
  sand 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  easily 
  loosened 
  

   with 
  picks 
  of 
  antler 
  or 
  wood 
  or 
  with 
  the 
  shoulder 
  blades 
  of 
  elk 
  

   or 
  deer 
  and 
  have 
  been 
  scooped 
  up 
  with 
  shallow 
  bark 
  baskets. 
  

  

  The 
  grave 
  fillings 
  in 
  at 
  least 
  40 
  cases 
  were 
  heavily 
  intermixed 
  

   with 
  carbonized 
  wood 
  and 
  bark. 
  This 
  suggests 
  that 
  the 
  topsoil 
  had 
  

   been 
  thawed 
  out 
  to 
  facilitate 
  digging 
  in 
  winter. 
  

  

  Depth 
  of 
  graves. 
  In 
  most 
  cases 
  the 
  graves 
  were 
  dug 
  as 
  deep 
  

   as 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  possible 
  with 
  rude 
  implements. 
  This 
  depth 
  was 
  to 
  

   the 
  clay 
  stratum 
  or 
  into 
  it 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  inches. 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  poor 
  

   drainage 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  the 
  skeletons 
  buried 
  within 
  it 
  decayed 
  much 
  

   more 
  rapidly 
  than 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  loose 
  sand. 
  A 
  table 
  of 
  depths 
  

   follows 
  : 
  

  

  Table 
  of 
  depths 
  of 
  graves 
  

  

  Inches 
  

  

  No. 
  of 
  

   graves 
  

  

  Inches 
  

  

  No. 
  of 
  

   graves 
  

  

  Inches 
  

  

  No. 
  of 
  

   graves 
  

  

  IO 
  

  

  2 
  

  

  I 
  

   I 
  

   4 
  

   1 
  

   1 
  

   1 
  

   6 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  1 
  

   1 
  

  

  36 
  

  

  3 
  

   2 
  

   6 
  

   2 
  

  

  7 
  

   21 
  

  

  1 
  

   1 
  

   1 
  

   15 
  

   3 
  

  

  CI 
  

  

  2 
  

  

  20 
  

  

  37 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  C2 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  22. 
  

  

  ; 
  ?8 
  

  

  C2 
  

  

  24 
  

  

  

  CA 
  

  

  2 
  

  

  25 
  

  

  40 
  

  

  ee 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  28 
  

  

  42 
  

  

  c6 
  

  

  2 
  

  

  20 
  

  

  4.C. 
  . 
  

  

  c8 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  30 
  

  

  46. 
  . 
  

  

  60 
  

  

  4 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  32 
  

  

  47 
  

  

  63 
  

  

  33-. 
  

  

  34 
  

  

  48 
  

  

  72 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Arrangement 
  of 
  graves 
  and 
  position 
  of 
  skeletons. 
  An 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  map 
  of 
  the 
  burials 
  shows 
  that 
  apparently 
  no 
  fixed 
  

   system 
  of 
  plotting 
  the 
  graves 
  was 
  observed. 
  The 
  graves 
  seem 
  to 
  

   have 
  been 
  dug 
  where 
  the 
  sand 
  was 
  softest 
  and 
  most 
  easily 
  ex- 
  

   cavated. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  noticed, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  graves 
  cluster 
  about 
  

   open 
  spaces. 
  From 
  this 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  inferred 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  arranged 
  

   about 
  a 
  large 
  tree 
  that 
  afterward 
  decayed. 
  

  

  An 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  table 
  of 
  orientation 
  reveals 
  that 
  the 
  bodies 
  

   were 
  not 
  apparently 
  arranged 
  to 
  face 
  any 
  particular 
  cardinal 
  point. 
  

   This, 
  however, 
  does 
  not 
  necessarily 
  indicate 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  system. 
  

   It 
  may 
  be 
  that 
  the 
  position 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  person 
  died 
  governed 
  the 
  

   position 
  in 
  the 
  burial. 
  

  

  