Riverdale Park Archeological Project (1989)

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    • #2405
      COGGINSS
      Participant

        While poking around nd on the internet, I found this fascinating and surprising Archeological  Project by the NYC Landmarks Commission from the 1980s, completed in 1989.

        RIVERDALE PARK ARCHEOLOGICAL PROJECT (1989)
        NYC LANDMARKS COMMISSION NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center

        https://archaeology.cityofnewyork.us/collection/map/riverdale-park-archaeological-project/project/riverdale-park-bronx-ny-1989

        The research can be found here: http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/34.pdf

        And a User’s Guide of the materials found:

        Click to access 1713.pdf

      • #2406
        ndembowski
        Keymaster

          Thanks for sharing those links, Stephanie.  It makes me think of a recent family hike I took through Riverdale Park.  We got off the path a little bit and found very old looking oyster shells strewn about high up on the ridge:

          The ancient remains of a picnic of long ago…

          It would be interesting to make a map showing places in our neighborhood where Native American artifacts have been discovered.  I have come across quite a number of reports in old newspapers articles, books, and memoirs.

          On another note, New York State maintains a database of archaeologically sensitive sites in its CRIS system.  It is used to trigger environmental and archaeological studies before development can proceed.  Oddly, I could not find this study on the CRIS map.  I will send an email to the State Historic Preservation Office to ask if they could upload these reports to the database.

        • #2411
          Peter Ostrander
          Participant

            Thanks for posting the Riverdale Park Study a good source.  The issue with creating a map or list of archealogical sites is how to protect from ‘pot hunters’.   Those that would just dig private and public lands to find artifacts to keep personally.  They do not document or photograph their finds and we all loose.  This actually happened with Valerie De Carlo’s archeological lead digs in Riverdale Park.  There was a person who lived  here in Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil to be specific who when the articles were written up in the Riverdale Press went out at night and weekends with his shovel and just dug and ripped apart the professional dig sites totally ruining the sites He once came to a Society talk and mentioned what he had found.  I reported his activity to Valerie but there  wasn’t much she or Parks Dept could do unless they caught the person in the act.  So there is a concern with publishing  specific historic archeological sensitive sites  unfortunately. The good news/bad news  is that most site have been built over or destroyed by other activities.

            Attached is a photo  of an archeological survey back in 1988 the KHS sponsored.  Valerie DeCarlo is 2nd at left, next is author  Michael Cohen, Fordham Univ professors Roger Wines and Alan Gilbert  3rd and 2nd at right and I’m the last at right.

             

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