Herrick Hollow VI


biface and fragmentsCrews completed 25 units and 29 STPs on the Herrick Hollow VI Site, sampling approximately 26% of the site area. The reconnaissance and site examination STPs identified three clusters of artifacts, two of which contained high densities of lithics. These clusters covered an area of approximately 100 m2 (108 ft2 ). Archaeologists recovered 473 lithics, as well as 25 fragments of FCR during these excavations. In addition, 283 lithics were identified from flotation samples taken from A horizons; these flakes were small and interpreted as microflakes. The lithic assemblage is dominated by debitage, mostly from late stage bifacial reduction. A large number of expedient tools was also present on the site. Locus 1 contained a Levanna point, which is usually associated with the Late Woodland (A.D. 900-1600). In Locus 2, a preform resembling either an Early Woodland Meadowood point or a Late Woodland Madison point was recovered. Although thermal features were not present, the recovery of FCR fragments and the clustering of tools in each locus suggest that the site may represent a an episode of land use during at least two time periods.

Herrick Hollow VII

Eight units and 25 STPs sampled approximately 45% of the Herrick Hollow VII site. STPs identified a single cluster of artifacts, centered on one STP and covering an area of approximately 20 m2 (215 ft2). Archaeologists recovered 10 lithics, as well as microflakes from flotation samples taken from a feature identified as a small hearth. The lithic assemblage includes two projectile points and eight non-cortical flakes. The two projectile points are similar to Brewerton side-notched points, which were produced during the Late Archaic period (4000-1500 B.C.). However, untyped side-notched points have been recovered from Transitional/Early Woodland contexts on at least two sites (Fortin and Camelot #2) in the Susquehanna River Valley (Funk 1998). AMS dating of charred acorn fragments from Feature 1 produced a date of 2400 +/- B.P. (Cal 760-680 B.C. or 550-390 B.C. at 2 Sigma - BETA #198658), placing the feature in the Early Woodland period. The points may represent a brief episode of land use by groups associated with Brewerton, as well as another visit during the Early Woodland. The clustering of the two points adjacent to the thermal feature suggests that the site was occupied on a single occasion either during the Late Archaic period or the Early Woodland period.

The Herrick Hollow District


h errick hollow landscapeThe seven Herrick Hollow sites form a complex of prehistoric land use spanning over 5,000 years of the past. The landscape that attracted these prehistoric groups to this area fits into the category that Funk (1993:p. 71) noted as “uplands-near bogs, swamps, ponds and stream headwaters on saddles between knolls and ridges.” However, not all of the land use present in the district is the same. While the landscape remained a constant feature, prehistoric groups visited it for different reasons, and left different archaeological residues through time.

A comparative analysis shows that the Herrick Hollow sites range in size from 20 m2 to 600 m2 (Table 131). Some sites, such as Herrick Hollow I, consist of a single cluster of artifacts, while others, such as Herrick Hollow II, encompass six discrete activity loci. The sites date mostly from the Early Woodland and Late Woodland periods, with Herrick Hollow VII potentially dating as early as the Late Archaic. AMS dates from several features associate occupations with the early portion of the Late Woodland period (A.D. 900-1100). Features were present on four of the seven sites, with hearths/pits located on three of those sites. One site
crew excavating herrick hollow IIIcontained a large glacial boulder, which appeared to serve as a seat for those manufacturing bifacial tools. Formal tools were recovered on all seven sites, but in small quantities when compared to the number of expedient tools, which dominated the assemblages of five of the seven sites. The amount of lithic debitage is low on Herrick Hollow VII, moderate across Herrick Hollow II through Herrick Hollow VI, and extremely high on Herrick Hollow I. Four of the sites produced pottery: Owasco Corded Herringbone (Herrick Hollow II), Carpenter Brook Cord-on-cord (Herrick Hollow IV, Herrick Hollow V), and an uncollared Owascan sherd (Herrick Hollow V). Small pottery fragments recovered on Herrick Hollow III are consistent with Late Woodland pottery.


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