The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-31
Remains of Hes
sianCamp of Rev.
dictionary Days
Unearthed Along
Upper Broadway

cinity. with such success that In
August, 1907, he discovered the first
burial in Corbett's garden. The. bones
lay in and upon a mass of oyster
shells, the skeleton reclining on its
right side, facing west. The arms
were flexed and crossed, the knees
bent and the head thrown back.
Mr.. Bolton gives the following in
teresting account Of his further dis
coveries of Indian burials
1.-THE location and position led to
further exploration. which early in
1908 led to still more interesting dis
coveries. Sunday, March %, w. l.. Cal
yer and I met at Seaman avenue and
Hawthorne street to discuss plans for
further excavations on this Indian
village site. The rains OF the winter
had washed the west bank where the
layer Of oyster shells and black dirt
lay along the hill and a patch OF red
burned earth was observed which on
digging out disclosed a fireplace
evidently of the period Of the Revolu-
ton, having some large burned stones
ashes, broken rum bottles, clasp
knife, hoop iron pot hook and a curious
folding corkscrew. Gold buttons Of
Revolutionary pattern and an officers
silver button of the Royal Marines
together with pewter buttons of the
18th Regiment, disclosed who had &C.
cupied the spot.
Indian Cemetery.
AT ono part of this fireplace we
came upon a pocket of oyster shellA
evidently Indian, about two feet deep,
and on removing some of these had
ttc Scc5 fortune 70 discover thigh
bone. We worked carefully into the
shells and under the pocket, gradually
disclosing the complete remains OF
full grown man, lying on its right side,
feet to the north, head facing east
knees doubled up, left arm EXTENDED
down through the thighs. The feet
had been within the area OF the hole
in which the Revolutionary fireplace
had been found, and only one or two
foot bones were found At a later
period other foot bones were found on
the other side of the fireplace,
evidently having been displaced in its
construction.
ION Sunday, June Ia. 1908. another
burial was found about twenty feet
sisted of an adult skeleton doubled up
and its back much curved, and was
apparently that of female of mature
age. Between the knees the remains
of small infant were laid, the skull
of the latter being fragmentary. The
right hand OF the adult was below
the infant and the left hand around
the throat. The skull was intact and
had nearly all the teeth. On lift
ing the ribs of the right side an ar
row head of flint fell out between the
fourth and fifth bones. These skele-
tons lay about two and a half feet
below the grass, and n pocket of oyster
shells was over the head.
Shortly after this discovery was
made the explorers extended the ex-
cavation and uncovered a male skele-
ton OF which the skull was preserved
Contractors for the sewer In Seaman
avenue also uncovered the remains OF
a young female.
These interments have some curl
Gus features. The position Of tho re-
mains fancinG east, sometimes west
the absence Of weapons or other OBJ
jects and the oyster shells packed with
or above them are subjects for inter
csting discussion on which future finds
may throw much light, as also upon
the peculiar double burial and the
burned stated OF the female remains
Tho general results seem TO indicate
that the Wick wuas -keeks tthe In.
dams of Manhattan Island) hao
special customs and ceremonies OF
which the dog burial was one ano
the possible suttee OF the widow OF
sachem another \ The use Of the sheH
pits partly for shells only, partly iot
the debris OF feasts. partly for dog OF
fish burials and partly TO cover hu'
man remains Is subject open 10
con lecture"