14 
seal ( Phoca sp.), 1 and bison. 2 The bones of the deer were more numerous 
than those of any other mammal, and specimens of most of the bones, 
including even the delicate hyoids, were found. All of the skulls were broken 
open to get out the brains for food or for tanning, probably in some cases 
for both purposes. The parts of the skull mostly found were the basilar, 
occipital, and upper maxillaries. Many of the lower jaws are broken and 
many lack the articular process. Most of the leg bones are broken, and 
a few others have a hole broken through the wall of the largest part of 
the bone, probably in order to extract the marrow. Several bones, includ- 
ing skulls, bear knife cuts, made in cutting the meat off the bones; one 
of the skulls has a clean cut, perhaps made with an ax at the back of the 
base of each antler. All of the beaver skulls are more or less broken ; most 
of the lower jaws have the articular condyle and coronoid process missing, 
and a few of them show marks of cutting. The presence of the dog bones, 
buried in the refuse with bones of other food animals, suggests that the 
flesh was used as food, 3 but perhaps ceremonially only. No dog bone, 
however, bears knife cuts made when cutting off the meat. One of the 
skulls, of which four were discovered, has a large hole through the frontal 
bone, such as might result from the blow that killed the animal; although 
it may also have been broken in order to extract the brain. Although 
the skulls appear to belong to a small, short-faced variety of dog, 4 some 
large leg bones, if they are not those of the wolf, seem to belong to a larger 
variety. Bear flesh was probably one of the staple foods. All of the bear 
skulls are broken, as are also most of the lower jaws, especially the coronoid 
processes and articular condyles; but none of the long bones is split for the 
marrow. It is possible that the people here kept bears in captivity and 
fattened them for their feasts, as among the Huron. 5 
Bird bones were not numerous, probably because they were eaten 
by dogs as they are small, easily crushed, and usually carry considerable 
meat; none that survived, however, shows any signs of gnawing. Some 
very small bones were found, one of them being a small, delicate tracheal 
ring.. Only, a few show knife cuts made in cutting up the flesh. Thirteen 
species of birds, mostly identified from wing and leg bones, are represented; 
in order of abundance they are as follows: Canada goose, ruffed grouse, 
sandhill crane { Grus sp.), loon, bald eagle, 6 passenger pigeon, swan ( Olor 
sp.), raven, herring gull, broad-winged hawk, red-shouldered hawk, pileated 
woodpecker, 7 and an unidentified species of duck. 
Bones of the snapping turtle, painted turtle, and wood turtle are the 
only reptilian remains found. The flesh of these turtles is eaten by modern 
Iroquois (Waugh, 136), 
J A seal phalanx is probably from an animal captured in the lower St. Lawrence, although seals are known to 
have ascended the river as far as Montreal (See Hall, p. 299); even their occasional occurrence in the Ottawa has been 
reported . 
5 A distal phalanx and the broken head of a scapula have been identified as possibly of this species. Bison bones 
were discovered at a site of the same culture as this site in Jefferson co., N.Y.. and Skinner (4: 169-170) commenting 
on the discovery, says: “Early records of settlers in Onondaga county show that large herds of bison visited the 
salt-licks, near Syracuse, and a sufficient number of bones have been found near the place to justify the belief that the 
records are true. Beauchamp has also commented on buffalo bones from Jefferson county.’’ 
s We have abundant historical evidence of the use of dog flesh as food bv the Iroquois (See Champlain III, p. 
164;Jesuit Relations, VII. p.223, IX, p. Ill, X, p. 229, XIII, pp. 43, 45, 229, 23 j, and XLVII, p 75; Sagard, 1; 210; 
and Megalopensis, p. 156). 
^Dawson (3: 99) speaking of the Hochelagan dog, says: "The variety kept was that small breed seen among 
many Indian tribes, and sometimes called the fox-dog,’’ 
^Champlain (III, p. 164) says: “They also ratten bears, which they keep two or three years, for the purpose of 
their banquets.” See also. Van Curler (Wilson, pp, 89, 90). 
^According to Sagard (2: 818) the Hurons not only made soup of its flesh but also ate it. 
Woodpeckers are eaten by modern Iroquois (See Waugh, page 135). 
