Neville archaeological site
Encyclopedia
Neville is an archaeological site on the bank of the Merrimack River
in New Hampshire
, the United States
.
The first occupants arrived during the Middle Archaic (around 8000 years Before Present
(BP)) and left around 5900 BP. However, people had been visiting the site for more than 8,000 years. The first occupation, termed the Neville Complex, houses the remains of the "Neville" stemmed points. These were "bifacial projectile
points with carefully shaped tips and symmetrical bodies." Neville points are believed to be a variant of the Stanly stemmed points and are found from Maine
to Connecticut
. These points were made between 7800 BP and 7000 BP. Before 7000 BP, a new projectile point form had appeared. Dena Dincauze argues that Neville is a center for spring fishing
and domestic activities and not hunting
and plant
processing. This is evidenced by the lack of hunting and plant processing tools.
The Neville site shows that Middle Archaic people of the Northeastern United States
had a relationship with cultures along the Atlantic
coast and even farther to the south. Some of the Neville points and tools are related to older Archaic sites in the southeastern United States
.
The Neville site is located on the east bank of the Merrimack River in Manchester, New Hampshire
. The site was occupied during the Middle Archaic period from ca. 8000-5900 BP and is located close to the Amoskeag Falls
, at 205 feet (62.5 m) above sea level. Because the river provided an almost endless supply of fish, the site's location was probably important in attracting the first foragers to camp at the site.
at the time that the sampling was dated. There were other artifacts found, both earlier and later, but these are believed to have been moved to the site from another location.
The excavators of the site had three goals that they wished to accomplish:
After the excavation, McLane had planned on writing the report for all of the artifacts and data recovered. However, soon after the excavation and before the outline had been completed, he fell ill and was unable to complete the report. He then sent all of the data that had been recovered to Harvard University
, requesting that Dena Dincauze finish the report. Dincauze accepted the request, even though the site had already been destroyed, and completed the report with the information she had been given.
have been visiting the Neville site for more than 8,000 years. The first residents arrived during the Middle Archaic period about seven thousand years ago. Dena Dincauze, who wrote the report on the site’s excavation, named the first inhabitants of the Neville site the "Neville Complex". It is likely that the first people to use this site chose the location because it was positioned conveniently next to a river that was rich in fish and a forest that contained other useful resources. Despite the fact that the site was used primarily for fishing, there were no fish bones found during the excavation. This is because the environment did not allow for their preservation. High levels of mercury
in the soil, however, provides circumstantial evidence to suggest that a great deal of fishing was done at the site. Dincauze wrote that it is most likely that very little hunting or plant processing was performed at the site because "artifacts associated with such work were absent."
Since very little hunting or plant processing was performed, it is probable that the site was primarily used for fishing. Bands of people would probably camp at the site during the spring and make great use of its abundant fish resources throughout the springtime. When winter came and resources became scarce at the site they would then move on to other locations where they might be able to forage for nuts or other more available resources. The first occupants of the site made use of "Neville" stemmed points which Fagan aptly describes as "bifacial projectile points with carefully shaped tips and symmetrical bodies, clearly intended for piercing." Because of the similarities between the Neville points and the Stanly stemmed points, it is believed that the Neville point could be a variant of the Stanly type. Neville points can be found anywhere from Maine to Staten Island
in New York
. Neville points were made from 7800 BP to 7000 BP, when new projectile points began to appear and replace them. Besides the addition of new projectile points, the tool kit of the residents of the Neville site began to vary slightly, which might suggest a more varied range of things being done at the camp. This increased level of adaptation at the site could be evidence that the occupants began to remain there for longer periods of time, perhaps even eventually occupying the Neville site as an almost permanent camp where they remained nearly all year. Around ca. 5900 BP the site was abandoned for reasons that are as of yet unknown. After 5900 BP it would seem as though the site was inhabited primarily by foragers and visited only intermittently.
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The first occupants arrived during the Middle Archaic (around 8000 years Before Present
Before Present
Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
(BP)) and left around 5900 BP. However, people had been visiting the site for more than 8,000 years. The first occupation, termed the Neville Complex, houses the remains of the "Neville" stemmed points. These were "bifacial projectile
Projectile
A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
points with carefully shaped tips and symmetrical bodies." Neville points are believed to be a variant of the Stanly stemmed points and are found from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. These points were made between 7800 BP and 7000 BP. Before 7000 BP, a new projectile point form had appeared. Dena Dincauze argues that Neville is a center for spring fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and domestic activities and not hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
processing. This is evidenced by the lack of hunting and plant processing tools.
The Neville site shows that Middle Archaic people of the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
had a relationship with cultures along the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast and even farther to the south. Some of the Neville points and tools are related to older Archaic sites in the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
The Neville site is located on the east bank of the Merrimack River in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. The site was occupied during the Middle Archaic period from ca. 8000-5900 BP and is located close to the Amoskeag Falls
Amoskeag Falls
The Amoskeag Falls are a set of waterfalls located in Manchester, New Hampshire on the Merrimack River.- History :"Amoskeag" derives from the Pennacook word "Namoskeag," which roughly translates as "good fishing place.” Here, the Merrimack River drops 50 feet...
, at 205 feet (62.5 m) above sea level. Because the river provided an almost endless supply of fish, the site's location was probably important in attracting the first foragers to camp at the site.
Discovery and name
The Neville site is named after its owner, John Neville. John Neville received the property from the Stark family. For years the site was not known to have any archaeological importance and remained unexcavated. It was not until the construction of a bridge threatened to destroy it that the New Hampshire Archaeological Society decided to take notice of the site. After surveying the site, they planned an excavation in hopes of salvaging as much as they could before it was completely demolished.Site excavation
The New Hampshire Archaeological Society (NHAS) began excavating the site in 1967 with the help of a team of volunteers. The excavation of the site continued through 1967 and 1968. One of the volunteers was an archaeologist named Peter McLane who excavated much more of the Neville site than the NHAS had planned on. It was a very good thing, because the Neville site yielded a wealth of archaeological material dating well back into the Archaic period. At first McLane and his sons found only typical artifacts within the first few feet of soil. But as they proceeded to excavate further they found more artifacts. McLane chose to have one of the artifacts dated via charcoal sampling and found that it was 5,385 years old. The ancient date made this artifact one of the oldest artifacts in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
at the time that the sampling was dated. There were other artifacts found, both earlier and later, but these are believed to have been moved to the site from another location.
The excavators of the site had three goals that they wished to accomplish:
1. to demonstrate the validity of the stratigraphic sequence,
2. to describe and date the cultural sequence at the site, and
3. to define the patterns of the site utilization through time.
After the excavation, McLane had planned on writing the report for all of the artifacts and data recovered. However, soon after the excavation and before the outline had been completed, he fell ill and was unable to complete the report. He then sent all of the data that had been recovered to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, requesting that Dena Dincauze finish the report. Dincauze accepted the request, even though the site had already been destroyed, and completed the report with the information she had been given.
History
Native North AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
have been visiting the Neville site for more than 8,000 years. The first residents arrived during the Middle Archaic period about seven thousand years ago. Dena Dincauze, who wrote the report on the site’s excavation, named the first inhabitants of the Neville site the "Neville Complex". It is likely that the first people to use this site chose the location because it was positioned conveniently next to a river that was rich in fish and a forest that contained other useful resources. Despite the fact that the site was used primarily for fishing, there were no fish bones found during the excavation. This is because the environment did not allow for their preservation. High levels of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
in the soil, however, provides circumstantial evidence to suggest that a great deal of fishing was done at the site. Dincauze wrote that it is most likely that very little hunting or plant processing was performed at the site because "artifacts associated with such work were absent."
Since very little hunting or plant processing was performed, it is probable that the site was primarily used for fishing. Bands of people would probably camp at the site during the spring and make great use of its abundant fish resources throughout the springtime. When winter came and resources became scarce at the site they would then move on to other locations where they might be able to forage for nuts or other more available resources. The first occupants of the site made use of "Neville" stemmed points which Fagan aptly describes as "bifacial projectile points with carefully shaped tips and symmetrical bodies, clearly intended for piercing." Because of the similarities between the Neville points and the Stanly stemmed points, it is believed that the Neville point could be a variant of the Stanly type. Neville points can be found anywhere from Maine to Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Neville points were made from 7800 BP to 7000 BP, when new projectile points began to appear and replace them. Besides the addition of new projectile points, the tool kit of the residents of the Neville site began to vary slightly, which might suggest a more varied range of things being done at the camp. This increased level of adaptation at the site could be evidence that the occupants began to remain there for longer periods of time, perhaps even eventually occupying the Neville site as an almost permanent camp where they remained nearly all year. Around ca. 5900 BP the site was abandoned for reasons that are as of yet unknown. After 5900 BP it would seem as though the site was inhabited primarily by foragers and visited only intermittently.