Lamoka Site
Encyclopedia
Lamoka is an archaeological site
near Tyrone
, in Schuyler County, New York
, USA that was named a National Historic Landmark
in 1961. According to the National Park Service, "This site provided the first clear evidence of an Archaic hunting and gathering culture in the Northeastern United States (c.3500 BC),".
More properly known as the Lamoka Lake Site, after the lake of the same name located nearby, this archaeological site, occupied by Late Archaic hunter-gatherers approximately 4,500 years before present, is one of the most important Archaic Period sites in North America due to its seminal role in the identification and naming of a hunting and gathering culture subsequent to Paleo-Indian culture and preceding pottery-using Woodland cultures. As such, the Lamoka Lake site is often considered the type site of the Archaic Period of North American prehistory.
The first professional excavations at the site were conducted between 1925 and 1928 by the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences (now the Rochester Museum and Science Center). Additional excavations at the Lamoka Lake site were conducted by the New York State Museum in 1958 and 1962, by the Buffalo Museum of Science in the 1980s, by Utica College in the 1990s, and by Rutgers University in 2000. Part of the archaeological site is protected in the Waneta-Lamoka Wildlife Management Area. In 2006, the remaining portion of the site was purchased for preservation by The Archaeological Conservancy
.
Archaeological excavations at the Lamoka Lake site have recovered large numbers of projectile points (primarily Lamoka points
), stone netsinkers, groundstone and polished stone tools (including beveled adzes, hammerstones, pestles, mullers, mortars, and metates) bone tools (including awls, knives, and fish hooks), lithic debitage, and animal bones (primarily white-tailed deer, tree squirrel, and passenger pigeon), and human burials. Numerous archaeological features, including pits, postmolds, hearths, firebeds and ash layers, have also been identified. The majority of artifacts and features date to the Late Archaic Period, although later Woodland Period artifacts have also been recovered from the site.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
near Tyrone
Tyrone, New York
Tyrone is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census.The Town of Tyrone is in the northwest part of the county and is east of Bath, NY.- History :...
, in Schuyler County, New York
Schuyler County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,224 people, 7,374 households, and 5,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 9,181 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, USA that was named a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1961. According to the National Park Service, "This site provided the first clear evidence of an Archaic hunting and gathering culture in the Northeastern United States (c.3500 BC),".
More properly known as the Lamoka Lake Site, after the lake of the same name located nearby, this archaeological site, occupied by Late Archaic hunter-gatherers approximately 4,500 years before present, is one of the most important Archaic Period sites in North America due to its seminal role in the identification and naming of a hunting and gathering culture subsequent to Paleo-Indian culture and preceding pottery-using Woodland cultures. As such, the Lamoka Lake site is often considered the type site of the Archaic Period of North American prehistory.
The first professional excavations at the site were conducted between 1925 and 1928 by the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences (now the Rochester Museum and Science Center). Additional excavations at the Lamoka Lake site were conducted by the New York State Museum in 1958 and 1962, by the Buffalo Museum of Science in the 1980s, by Utica College in the 1990s, and by Rutgers University in 2000. Part of the archaeological site is protected in the Waneta-Lamoka Wildlife Management Area. In 2006, the remaining portion of the site was purchased for preservation by The Archaeological Conservancy
The Archaeological Conservancy
The Archaeological Conservancy is a 5013 non-profit organization that acquires and preserves archaeological sites in the United States. Whereas nearly every other nation protects all archaeological sites within its borders as part of its national patrimony, in the United States archaeological...
.
Archaeological excavations at the Lamoka Lake site have recovered large numbers of projectile points (primarily Lamoka points
Lamoka projectile point
thumb|right|360|Lamoka projectile points from central New York State. The point on the left is a "stemmed" lamoka point made of quartz. The middle one is a "stemmed" lamoka point made of flint and, the point on the right is a flint "side notched" lamoka point....
), stone netsinkers, groundstone and polished stone tools (including beveled adzes, hammerstones, pestles, mullers, mortars, and metates) bone tools (including awls, knives, and fish hooks), lithic debitage, and animal bones (primarily white-tailed deer, tree squirrel, and passenger pigeon), and human burials. Numerous archaeological features, including pits, postmolds, hearths, firebeds and ash layers, have also been identified. The majority of artifacts and features date to the Late Archaic Period, although later Woodland Period artifacts have also been recovered from the site.
Additional Sources and External Links
- "Lamoka Lake Site" article in The Preservationist, a publication of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Preservation
- Press release, October 20, 2006, including in Schuyler County an item of a $10,000 grant to Archaeological Conservancy for purchase of a 20 acre parcel to protect an archaeology site