Cultural Resource Management Survey, PIN 6751.11: Additional Investigations of SUBi-888

The primary managerial goals of Paragraph 4 investigations relevant to PIN 6751.11 are to ascertain horizontal and vertical site boundaries, to identify the cultural affiliations or temporal sequence of site components, and to locate internal site differentiation. The PIN 6751.11 strategies employed to meet these goals included: The systematic excavation of shovel test pits (STPs) at 10 meter intervals, in order to map the horizontal and vertical distribution of cultural material, and to identify the occurrance and location of artifact clusters and the excavation of larger units (1x2 meter squares) in areas where STP survey or other reconnaissance indicated the likely presence of features, or other significant archeological material useful in achieving an understanding of the internal structure and depositional history of the site.To date, there has been relatively little comprehensive professional archeological investigation into the prehistory of the Chemung Valley. References accessed during a literature search show that substantial movement and settlement by prehistoric groups took place in this region. The results of excavations conducted in 1978 and 1980 indicate that the site is one of the most significant to survive in the Chemung Valley. Most archeological deposits have escaped post-depositional disturbance.
Previous excavations revealed the existence of buried A horizon surfaces containing cultural material. The site may consist in part, of a native American occupation dating to the Clinton-Sullivan campaign at Newtown. Intact aboriginal village sites from this period of colonial history are rare in the area.The site has a significant potential to yield reliable and systematic data on stratified sites dating to contact times, and possibly to late Archaic/Transitional cultures. The 1986 excavations generally support this description. Square 5 contained pottery and ceramics in levels that ranged from the surface to 110 cm bd., but contained a sterile horizon between 33 and 70 cm. bd. To a lesser extent a similar pattern occurred in Square 4, where a sterile 10 cm. stratum separated zones of artifact-bearing soils. All the material found seems to relate to Woodland and Contact period occupations, primarily Late Woodland and Iroquois. This work does confirm and emphasize that the Luckey Site contains valuable information for prehistoric, research. This point must be kept in mind, should the state contemplate further impacts in the area.