Types of Archeological Sites

Archeological sites within the state date back as far as 12,000 years and are located in a wide variety of settings, from forests and flood plains to waterways and mountain tops. Pre-European contact archeological sites range from temporary fishing encampments to large permanent villages. There are also many "resource procurement sites" or areas where the activity appears to have consisted of a single action lasting for perhaps just a few hours, such as hunting sites that typically identify where animals were killed and butchered or well-established waterfront locations where groups of people gathered for a limited amount of time on a regular basis to catch and prepare fish.

Investigations at a small stone tool production station Colonie, Albany County

Most archeological sites are found in relatively shallow deposits, within one to two feet of the surface. However, in some cases, natural factors have caused sites to be buried beneath multiple layers of sediment, such as the deeply stratified floodplain deposits often found along streams and rivers. These deposits can be anywhere from one foot to more than ten feet below the current surface. These sites often have multiple layers, with older sites lying in the deepest sediments and more recent deposits being closer to the surface. Recent work in a number of urban settings (for example, New York City, Albany, Kingston, Elmira, and Buffalo) has revealed significant early archeological deposits that remained intact within areas that are now densely developed. Archeological sites discovered in urban areas have strong potential to yield important information about a community's settlement and growth.

Post-European contact sites can be found throughout New York and document practically every aspect of the historic period, from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Native American and early European settlements to twentieth-century Cold War military installations. Many of the most prominent historic period sites are associated with colonial America and the Revolutionary War. New York also contains thousands of cultural landscapes, village sites, and industrial complexes that help to increase our understanding of New York's development and expansion during the nineteenth century. Examination of these sites has led to a greater understanding of technological advances as well as providing new insights into the lifestyles and working conditions of our ancestors.

New York's impressive collection of historic maritime resources includes a large number of archeological sites, such as the remains of early waterfronts, docks, and shipwrecks. The identification, recognition, and interpretation of these significant yet often-overlooked resources is helping to ensure their long-term protection.

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