SKINNER, INDIANS OF MANHATTAN ISLAND 51 



Judging from these references, we might conclude that the territory 

 occupied by the tribe commonly known as Manhattans included Manhattan 

 Island and that part of the mainland which is west of the Bronx River north 

 to Yonkers, and that these Indians were a sub-tribe of the Wappinger divisi< »n 

 of the Mahican. 



Indian Burials. 



Indian Burial*. Notwithstanding all the efforts of various collectors, the 

 fir-t Indian burials to be discovered on the Island were due to the activities 

 of Messrs. Bolton ami Calver in 1904. The improvement of Seaman Avenue. 

 Upper Manhattan, at that time, uncovered many relics of the long extinct 

 Indian inhabitants among which Mr. Bolton saw unmistakable signs of 

 Indian graves. To quote from this gentleman: " It thus became evident that 

 there were human interments in the vicinity, and in August. 1907, the first 

 burial was discovered under a shell pit in Corbett's garden. The grading 

 process had been extended only about eighteen inches below the sod, but had 

 sufficed to destroy the jaw of the skeleton which extended upwards, a- did 

 also the foot bones. The bones lay in and upon a close mass of oyster shells, 

 some of which were unopened, the skeleton reclined on its right side, facing 

 west. The arms were flexed and crossed, the knees bent and the head thrown 

 back. No traces of weapons were found, nor were there any other objects 

 found, save a fragment of an animal bone. 



"' The location and position led to further exploration, which, early in 191 ls . 

 led to -^t ill more interesting discoveries. Sunday, March 22nd. being the 

 first day in the field for exploration for the season for 1908, W. L. Calver 

 and the writer met at Seaman Avenue and Hawthorne Street. Manhattan, 

 to discuss plans for further excavations on this Indian village site. The 

 rains of the winter 1907-* had washed the west bank where the layer 

 of oyster shells and black dirt lay along the hill, and a patch of red burnt 

 earth was observed, which on digging out. disclosed a fireplace, evidently 

 of the period of the Revolution, having some large burnt stones, ashes, 

 wood charcoal, brick, broken rum bottles, a wine glass nearly complete. 

 a large open clasp-knife with bone handle, a hoop-iron pot-hook, various 

 forged head nails and a curious folding corkscrew. Gold buttons of 

 Revolutionary pattern and an officer's silver button of the Royal Mariners, 

 together with pewter buttons of the 17th Regiment disclosed who had occu- 

 pied the spot. 



'■ At one part of this fireplace, we came upon a pocket of oyster shells, 

 evidently Indian, about two feet deep, and on removing some of these, had 

 the good fortune to uncover a human thigh-bone. We worked carefully 



