The Peoples of the Confluence

The Peoples of the Confluence. 12,000 Years Along the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers. , What do we know about the Native Americans who lived here from what they left behind? , Archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of people camping, hunting, gathering and fishing along the banks of the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers for the past 12,000 years. Traces of their activities were buried over time. , Before the arrival of the Europeans, a vast trail system connected Native American villages and camps throughout the region. These trails were used by hunters, traders and warriors. Native Americans also used the rivers to transport people and goods. As we walk along the Diahoga Trail, we are following in the footprints made by Native Americans over thousands of years!, Flintknapping Stone Tools , A variety of stone types were used for making tools. Each finished stone tool produced hundreds of waste flakes. The waste flake by-products from making these tools are the most numerous artifacts found on sites. , Hunting with an Atlatl , An atlatl is a stick used by Eskimos and early American Indians to propel a spear or dart. Archaeological research reveals evidence that people hunted large mammals, trapped furs, fished the rivers and lakes and collected nuts and berries as the seasons changed., Brewerton side-notched projectile points , ca. 3000-2500 BC , Projectile points, also known as arrow or spear points, come in a variety of shapes and styles. When certain styles come from sites with radiocarbon dates, archaeologists are able to link them to specific time periods. This is another way archaeologists can date a site. , Potsherd , Owasco Corded Horizontal neck and rim sherd ca. AD 900-1350 , Clay pots were used for cooking, serving and storing food. Prehistoric potters formed and decorated their vessels in a variety of ways. Sometimes, potters in one community or region used styles different from other communities. Archaeologists can estimate how old a site is and who the people were based on the pottery types recovered from excavations. , Bone Fish Hooks , Area rivers and numerous lakes, streams and wetlands provided a rich variety of edible fish. People used a variety of fishing gear, such as fish weirs and nets placed in rivers, as well as spears and hooks. These hooks were found at one of the sites. , Basket Making , Baskets were an important part of daily activities of prehistoric people. The archaeological record has very few examples of these since the organic materials, such as reeds and tree bark, were not durable enough to survive our acidic soils.