Date: Fri 14-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

archaeology-Paugussett-WCSU

Full Text:

Piecing Together Newtown's Past:

Archaeology work continues in Upper Paugussett

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

When you are deep in the woods of Upper Paugussett State Forest you are

without reminders of civilization. But, buried deep below the shade of

chestnut oaks, red maples, black birch, and hemlock there are clues to

Newtown's rich history and its early inhabitants.

Dr Laurie Weinstein, professor of anthropology at Western Connecticut State

University and her students in the Field School In Archaeology are continuing

to explore pre-historic and historic sites in the forest. Last summer was the

first time the area was targeted for in-depth study.

"We're still surveying the state forest, and testing some other areas," said

Dr Weinstein. "We want to see how other sites here fit into general use. For

example, we think one site might be a quarry - we'll be doing more testing to

try to confirm this - and we'll be looking at other areas to see if there was

a [prehistoric] base camp, hunting camp, fishing camp... The [Native

Americans] may have had specific areas for specific activities."

Six anthropology/sociology students will spend two days a week digging in the

field, and two days doing lab work or research at Newtown library, Town

Clerk's office, or interviewing private residents who are willing to share

pertinent information. The course will continue through August 3.

"This work is important because we're learning about our heritage. Sites are

always being destroyed by construction projects," said the professor. "We're

looking at the past and seeing how people exploited the land. Maybe we can

somehow prevent present day exploitation by what we learn."

Dr Weinstein and assistant John Driscoll evaluated the materials gathered last

summer and hypothesized that the prehistoric site on a knoll dates from the

late Archaic (2000 BC) through Early Woodland Time (1000 BC). The researchers

based this theory on their analysis of two small stemmed points and variety of

quartz scrapers, bifaces, and worked flakes found at the location, as well as

on comparison of their materials with those gathered from the forest and

surrounding area by local collectors.

The site is believed to represent a lithic quarry because of negative evidence

- that is, the fact that the area is lacking in hearths, stained and/or

hard-packed floors, post molds, and other features that would indicate a more

general and varied use of the site. Wood working tools, food processing tools,

and farming tools were also absent. Tool production was indicated at the site.

The forest would have been an "ideal location" for Native people, said Dr

Weinstein, because of the number of brooks in the forest that feed into the

Housatonic as well as the natural veins of quartz, a very good material for

making tools. The flakes found throughout the forest indicate it was heavily

used by prehistoric inhabitants.

A brief history of the Native Americans occupying the area was included in a

published paper by Dr Weinstein and Mr Driscoll that was also presented at the

Conference on New England Archaeology and the Northeastern Anthropology

Association in April of this year. The authors cite research by local Woodbury

historian William Cothran, and Native American specialist Trudy Lamb Richmond.

In part, it reveals:

The Pootatuck's principle location was the Newtown-Woodbury area and they were

the ones who sold the 60 square mile Newtown tract to the colonists for guns,

broad cloth, shirts, knives, gun powder and other miscellaneous items.

The Housatonic River forms the northern and eastern boundaries of the forest.

This great river was a channel of communication for the many Indian villages

which bordered its shores... After the King Philips War in 1675, Indian people

moved inland from the coast: some Paugussett moved to the Derby/Shelton area,

while others went to Pootatuck in Southbury, and Weantinock in New Milford.

The researchers traced another parcel back to John Glover, one of Newtown's

first inhabitants who lived here during the early 1700s. The earliest

documentation found thus far of a residence on the historic site, however, is

a 1867 map, referring to the home of the Blake family.

According to Al Goodrich and Mary Mitchell in their book Newtown Trails Book ,

the extensive property along the river, at one time a sheep farm, was

purchased by John Mulliken in 1910 with an eye for development. But it wasn't

until 54 years later that he put this plan into action. By this time, trees

had sprung up and reclaimed the land as a forest. The Newtown Conservation

Commission sought to preserve the land as open space and because of their

efforts, the 800-acre Upper Paugussett State Forest was established in 1969.

"It's really exciting to find things here," said WestConn senior Maryann

Hydinger who displayed a handful of nails, glass fragments, and some ceramic

pieces they had found within the first 10 centimeters of digging. "By finding

artifacts, it gives us concrete evidence of a historical past. Without it

we're just guessing... It makes history come alive instead of just reading

about it."

John Driscoll has been involved with the project for a year and is

anticipating actual excavation after the test pits are complete. "We're

digging up the past," he said with a laugh.

Many of the students involved in this summer's dig said the experience will

help them determine whether or not they will pursue archaeology as a

profession. Jo Deaton, a junior, said she has enjoyed all the aspects - lab

work, database, research, and field work - is now certain that this is what

she wants to pursue full time.

"I enjoy seeing the students get really excited, watching their enthusiasm as

they find historic and prehistoric materials," said Dr Weinstein, who recently

published Enduring Traditions: The Native Peoples of New England , the first

in a series titled, Native Peoples of the Americas. "No one's done a survey or

excavation in this state forest before. It is virgin land for us as

archaeologists.

Anyone with materials found in or information on the Upper Paugussett State

Forest or surrounding area is encouraged to contact Dr Weinstein at WestConn

by calling 837-8453. Also of interest is maps of the area or any information

on Patrick Blake or the Mulliken family.