FIFTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I908 



57 



investigation. Several hundred specimens of pottery, flint objects, 

 shell and bone articles and skeletons were collected in this region. 



Silverheels site. This site is situated a half mile from High 

 Banks up the Cattaraugus. Here in 1903 the Archeologist with Mr 

 M. R. Harrington opened more than 50 Indian graves and secured a 

 line collection of pottery and other objects for the Peabody Museum 

 of Archeology and Ethnology. The manager of the farm upon 

 which the site is located forbade further excavation, thinking the 

 relics of great commercial value. During the spring of 1908, how- 

 ever, the Archeologist secured a good collection of objects from 

 the site, notably 2 pottery vessels, 2 pipes, a fragment of a rush 

 basket, a Towisas tortoise rattle, a bone comb, a stone charm, otter 

 effigy, a gourd cup preserved by contact with copper, etc. All the 

 pottery from the Silverheels site is Senecan, and not Erian, in form 

 and ornamentation. 



Ripley site. Some additional excavations were conducted at Rip- 

 ley under the direction of the Archeologist, by Mr Everett R. Bur- 

 master, a field assistant. Mr Burmaster opened several graves in 

 a portion of the site where burials had not been hitherto found. 

 Among the valuable specimens are several crushed pottery vessels, 

 a fragmentary turtle-shell rattle, a bone comb, bone beads and sev- 

 eral skeletons. The bone comb is of the early fork type and has 

 three teeth only. The turtle-shell rattle was plainly visible in the 

 grave and contained a handful of gravel stones. When taken up 

 the carapace fell apart. This object is of considerable interest in 

 the light of comparative studies. 



Pottery restoration. Many of the finest types of pottery vessels 

 found in graves and ash pits are crushed into a number of frag- 

 ments. Some specimens taken out embrace 20 pieces and others 

 100 or more. Pottery in this condition is interesting, but far more 

 so if the fragments are cemented together and the vessel restored. 

 The work of restoring pottery vessels has been carried on by Mr 

 Martin Sheehy who, by exercising great patience, has restored more 

 than 20 vessels from the Ripley, Gerry and High Banks sites. 



Public interest. The large number of letters of inquiry received 

 from this as well as other states indicates a keen interest in matters 

 pertaining to Xew York Indians. The range of inquiry has cov- 

 ered almost every feature of the Indian culture, language, folklore, 

 ceremonies, costumes, customs, arts, industries, textiles, ornament* 

 etc. 



