of Native indian Studies wna SRACenter.0rg ze=-5.D.A.(. Susquehanna River Archaeological Center Volume 7, Issue 1 May 2011 THE SRAC JOURNAL THE REGION'S ARCHAEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL RESOURCE INSIDE THIS ISSUE report Mastraions| 7 [SRAG Unveils Now Exhibit 1 IMPORTANT ILLUSTRATIONS OF SUSQUEHANNOCK MATERIAL CULTURE: ‘A REVIEW OF “A GLIMPSE OF THE WORLD NON-EUROPEAN IN SKOKLOSTER CASTLE” BY MARSHALL JOSEPH BECKER, PH. D. [Greater Valey Chamber Honor Tho roquots Matarchy 4 5 New and Renewing Members| 5 Lincoln Sirect School Projects | 6 7 a a tage Pot Donated to SRAC Mike Sisto Inter at SRAC Never Stop Looking [Bears on Broad St Coming Back | 9 [Kardashian's and Archaeology | 9 cont Aetity at SRAC 10 Why Donato to SRAC W [SRAG Quick Notes 72 [cherished GiiSpectal Memories | 13, [coming Events| @ njine now! GO sn SRE cer orgfoin to A ay fo ~Join our Discussions Today ‘SRACenter blogspotcom + Oue Vision ‘The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of N: tive Indian Studies (S.R-A.C) dedicated to education, re- sch and preservation of the Native American archaeologi- cal, cultural and historical assets of the Twin Tier Region of| Northeastern PA and Southern NY. ‘Scholars interested in Native American material cul- ture of the Northeast have long known that the most important early pieces that survive had been sent back to Europe by early explorers and traders. These pieces were preserved, in private and royal collec- tions, for hundreds of years. The collections were gen- erally called "cabinets of curiosities.” By the nineteenth Century, with the foundation of several national muse- tums, many of these items began a migration into the ‘great public collections of Europe. By the early twenti- th century American scholars traveling abroad made not of the presence of rare and important ethno- ‘graphic pieces. David Bushnell (cf. Becker 2001) was ‘among the first to make known pieces that he had located. Although the locations and brief descriptions of early and fine specimens often reached print, as with almost all artifacts in public and private collec- tions very few of these items have been described in detail ft Eight particularly fine ethnographic items suspacted to have originated in Pennsylvania became of interest to ‘me following my excavations at the Printzhof, a Swed ish colonial site builtin 1643. This remains the only site now known from the original Swedish colony in the Delaware Valley (1638-1655; Becker 1979). The eight artifacts of interest are held in the fabu: lous Skoklaster Castle, a Late Medieval fortress that had been entailed in 1710. This legal proce- (oncnvea on page 2) SRAC Unveils New Ancient Amulet Exhibit (WAVERLY, NY) Cryptic drawings and art- work from an ancient artist's hand cover the dog-tag sized blue slate amulet that is now fon display in the Susquehanna River Ar- chaeological Center (SRAC) at 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY, The amulet was found below a site locals refer to as “Spanish Hil" in 1908. It has been in the SRAC/Cowles collection for many years, but has until now never been on public display. SRAC’s ex- ecutive director, Deb Twigg explains, “The mere size of the amulet combined with the fact that itis one of a kind and irreplaceable has always made us keep it locked in a fire proof safe. First because it is too small to be enjoyed in a case with the other Spanish Hill arfacts and two because it needs to be secured at all times. (Continued on page 7)Page 2 ‘Tu: SRAC JOURNAL Volume 7, issue 1 IMPORTANT ILLUSTRATIONS OF SUSQUEHANNOCK MATERIAL CULTURE CONT. (Continued tam page 1) ure froze every item within this huge structure as if time had stopped. The documents relating to the entailment indicate that these eight items were there in 1710, and probably had been there for 50 years or more, In 1979 | made arrangements with the proper authorities to spend the entire month of August of 1980 in residence, studying these eight objects. The aid and hospitality ‘shown by Bengt Kylsberg during that stay, and the help provided by the entire staff of the museum, are deeply appreciated. The ‘efforts of these scholars to make these artifacts belter known en ‘courages me lo return to ths task. ‘To date only three of these items have been published in detail (Becker 1990a, 1990b), but the data is stil in process. During the long period involved in writing up the frst three of these artifacts became involved in related archaeological research at a Susque- hannock site in West Virginia where | was in charge of the human ‘skeletal remains (Becker 1987, 1991), ‘The studies at this site in West Virginia (46HM73) expanded the original Skokloster project and led to an important discovery. In the 1980s | had concluded that the eight native artifacts had reached Skokloster as a gift from Johann Printz, the third Swedish colonial governor in America. | mistakenly inferred, however, that Printz had received these items from the Lenape, the people within whose territory he had set up his trading station, Various ‘clues allowed me lo understand that he had secure these artifacts from the Susquehannock, who were then the principal suppliers of polls to European traders throughout the Middle Allantic region. ‘Tne complete scholarly publication of these eight Susquehannock arlfacts was delayed due to @ problem that had come up at the Captain John Smith 1608 Map ‘Smithsonian Institution. All eight had been loaned to that museum where they had been afforded considerable care and properly photographed. Who had the rights to those photographs, or could provide access to the negatives, was a problem that remained Unresolved. Recently the staff at Skoklaster Castle initiated an important re- View of many of the non-European items in their collections not previously published. The impressively illustrated result is far from complete, but the illustrations of the Susquehannock artifacts should be known to anyone concemed with the Late Woodland period material culture of these people. A brief listing of the con fents ofthis slim volume provide an idea of the intent of the editor. While showcasing the objects of interest, the final 36 pages are devoted to “finding the way.” The editor focuses on the navigators’ tools: astrolabe, Jacob's staff, quadrants, maps and globes. One of these globes has @ cartouche (p. 83) including a figure that might be a Susquehannock, but not as clearly recognizable as the ‘John Smith 1608 map with a figure clearly labeled as a Sasquesa- hhannock, This section references Thomas Campanius Holm (ca 4670-1702), whose publication on New Sweden included the im- portant Lindestrém map of 1654-55 (p. 95). The rude cartoons on that map provide the only ilustrations of natives in the Delaware Valley and their material culture. Al of the South American holdings, including a spear and ham- ‘mock, are noted in a few pages. Less space is afforded to repre- sentative items from the Arctic, Siberia, and Japan and China ‘combined. Oceania is provided 13 pages, as is North America ‘The North American section provides brief notes on all eight Sus- quehannock pieces, but the English versions are peculiarly trans- lated. There are, however, important views of seven of the eight ‘Susquehannock items, plus a much later pipestone pipe from the = Plains. The pipe bowl is a rather typical catinite example, while the more impres- sive pipe stem is only seen where it in serts into the bowl I can attest from my ‘own studies that this stem is a magnifi- cently preserved, heavily ormamented ‘example. The quillwork and the complex feather omamentation is far more signfi- ‘cant than the prosaic part chosen for this, brief catalogue. The stem is of the richly decorated type seen in Catin’s and other ilustrations of this rich aspect of the ‘many Plains cultures, ‘The seven Susquehannock artifacts ils trated in Westin Berg's catalogue offer an | impressive view of the rich material cu ure that we know almost entirely from ne archaeological record. We have but a few tantalizing clues to the perishable artifacts made by these people, found preserved al a few archaeological sites, These reveal that the complex carved and ornamented §Susquehannock arti- ,| facts that do survive were accompaniod by a starting array of organic and perish- able items, fashioned trom skin, hai, bone and teeth. The Skokloster collection should be seen by anyone interested in * tne culture of the Susquehannack, (Continued on page 3) "The Susquehanna River Archaeological Corer of Nave Idan Studies ~ www SRACenlerorg~ eral Ino@SRAGENTa orPage 3 ‘Tu: SRAC JOURNAL Volume 7, issue 1 IMPORTANT ILLUSTRATIONS OF SUSQUEHANNOCK MATERIAL CULTURE CONT. {Gant fom page 2 Becker, Marshall Joseph Westin Berg, Elisabeth (editor) 2008 A Glimpse of the World Non-European in Skokloster Cas- tie. Introduction and Text by Bengt Kyisberg. Norrképing, Sweden: Pressgrannar AB. Skoklosterstudier Nr. 37 (Skokloster Studies 37), In Swedish and English. 106 pages, 41 color ilustrations, 4979 Ethnohistory and archaeology in search of the Printzhof, the 17th century residence of Swedish Colonial Gover- ‘nor Johan Printz. Ethnohistory 26 (1): 15 - 44, 4987 Printzhof; and, West Virginia: 44HM73, a Susquehannock Contact Period Site. The Society for Historical Archaeology Newsletter 20 (1): 30-31, 33. 19802 A Wolfs Head Pouch: Lenape Material Culture in the Col- lections of the Skokloster Museum, Sweden. Acheomaterials 4 (1) 77-98, 1980 Two 17th Century Clubs in the Collections of the Skoklos- ter Museum, Sweden. European Review of Native American Stud. ies 4 (1): 19-28. 1981 The Stature of a Susquehannock Population of the Mid- 46th Century Based on Skeletal Remains from 46HM73, Pennsy- vania Archaeologist 61 (2): 73-88, 2001 Native American Indian Arlfacts in the Ethnographic Mu- ‘seum, Florence, Italy: A Transiation from Bushnel's Walian Paper ‘of 1905 Plus Notes on Recent Additions from the American North- ‘east, Bulletin of the Archaeological Sociely of New Jersey 56: 61- 65, Below: Captain John Smith's Susquehannock illustration and three artifacts representative of Susquehannock perishable items from Sklokloster Castle. ‘The “Pouch Head” is seen hanging down behind the figure. It isa fake head with fake fun (no joke), with the head being built around a set of The Woif Head Pendant isa fake wolf head. Ils attached to ties that go around the neck. It can be seen on the Susquenannack figure’s chest, and tied around his neck, & "The Susquehanna River Archaeological Cena of Native Indian Stes ~ www SRACe® reall wo jaws cut down from @ skull ‘The "headdress" is bit more problematic as itis notin the illustration {nd the function is inferred from shape. It has been tailored from a Slot akin (using techniques stil used in making fur coats, etc) to fit ‘ound 2 curved surface, presumed to be a person's head. — 09 ara vo@SRACerIer org