Archaeology

Archaeological Sites

The majority of archaeological Hodinöhsö:ni' combs are found at sites dating to the 16th-18th centuries CE (500 to 300 years ago). Simple combs and hair pins are found as early as approximately 2,500 years BCE (or 4,500 years ago), the earliest found at the Frontenac Island site on Cayuga Lake. The combs in this collection come from a series of Onöndowa'ga:' sites in the western portion of what is now known as New York State. These sites have been interpreted by archaeologists as towns or associated burial areas. Onöndowa'ga:' towns in the 16th-18th centuries often consisted of a series of longhouses and shared outdoor spaces in a centralized area, surrounded by fields of corn and other cultivated foods.

These combs in this digital collection came to be in museum collections through a variety of means—state or university funded excavations, excavations by avocational (hobby) archaeologists, and other means of collecting by settlers. The majority of these combs were removed from burials of Hodinöhsö:ni' ancestors, although a few were found in trash deposits and other non-burial contexts. This project attempts to balance archaeologist and community desires to share and access this history with respect for ancestral burials. Certain elements of this site are available to the general public, while photographs of the combs and other sensitive material is restricted to Hodinöhsö:ni' registrants. We welcome feedback on this approach and the content and purpose of this site. 

Community Movement

The communities moved their residences approximately every 20-30 years as an ecological strategy, resulting in the series of “site sequences” we see archaeologically today. Moving allowed access to new resources (think firewood, field fertility, and foraged foods), preventing the communities from exhausting the resources in any particular place. Today, these moves allow us to trace a single community across multiple sites, proving a way to understand particular points in the history of a community.

Site Sequences and Satellites

In much of the archaeological literature you’ll see today, archaeologists will refer to Onöndowa'ga:' archaeology as containing “Eastern” and “Western” site sequences. This refers to the presence of two main (often referred to as principal) Onöndowa'ga:' towns at any time. This dual community arrangement allowed the communities to stagger their moves and provide safety and support to each other during the transition periods. In addition to the principal towns, you’ll also see mention of smaller communities located nearby, called “satellite” sites. These smaller sites are typically within a day’s journey of the larger towns and were used to host groups of outsiders who were being incorporated into the community and to serve as an outpost for other activities.