CHARLES (CHUCK) LUCY, CLOSE FRIEND AND FELLOW AVOCATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGIST

CHARLES (CHUCK) LUCY, CLOSE FRIEND AND FELLOW AVOCATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGIST, HIGHLY RESPECTED BY THE PROFESSIONALS BY TED KEIR, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, SRAC

Chuck Lucy, in stature, a small man but huge in wisdom and generosity. He grew up in the Susquehanna River Valley in Bradford County. He graduated from Athens High School and attended Cornell University for three years where he played in the big red band. World War II was underway and he tried to enlist, but they told him he didn't weigh enough. This is understandable if you knew Chuck.

He then took a job in tool inspection at the Ingersoll Rand Pneumatic Tool Plant in Athens, where he worked for a number of years. He and his wife Elizabeth (Liz) raised five children and she went along with her husband's hobby. I remember seeing her with a trowel and brush working with Chuck on some interesting excavations.

I often walked with Chuck on our favorite sites following stream flooding and plowed farm fields. We shared each other's knowledge of projectile points associated with local native American cultures.

Chuck took a special interest in local clay pottery. He was considered an expert by the professionals, identifying several dozen tribes or clans by the tempering used and the pot's rim decorations found on various excavation sites. John Witthoft, considered Pennsylvania's most knowledgeable archaeologist, became Chuck's mentor, especially on ceramics and he visited the Lucy home a number of times and in 1948, asked Chuck to become his assistant. Chuck declined because the pay was so low.





Lucy was very active in the Andastes #5 chapter of the Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology, and he worked closely with the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, recording a number of sites in both states. He also held active membership in the New York State Archaeology Association and the Eastern States Archaeology Federation.

Some of the sites Lucy and I worked together on were: Kennedy site at Tioga Point; Pepper Farm at LeRoy; Point Farm, between the Chemung a n d Su s q u e h a n n a Ri v e r s ; Cowenesque Dam, Tioga County; Canoe Camp, Mansfield, Tioga County; Blackman site, Hornbrook; Scrivens site and State Aggregates Mallory Run site in Sheshequin.

Lucy worked on a number of other sites: Wilson site, East Towanda Fairgrounds with Catherine McCann; Ellis Creek site, Tioga County, NY; Abbe-Brennan site, S. Main St. Athens; Schoonover and Nagle sites in Sheshequin and the Murray Farm site in West Athens.

Lucy had a number of his archaeology works published: The Owasco Culture, 1959, 1991; Tioga Point, 1950, 1952 and 1991a; Lucy and Vanderpoel, 1979; Brule and Spanish Hill, Lucy and McCracken, 1985; Friedenshutten, A Multicomponent site, near Wyalusing, Lucy and Keir, 2002.

Chuck Lucy passed away on June 29, 2003 at the age of 81. His wife Liz lived only 40 days after Chuck's death. They meant so much to each other, I said she died of a broken heart.

The Tioga Point Museum in Athens has some of Chuck's artifacts and he left them an excellent display of local pottery and projectile points, individually identified. A number of things went to the state museum in Harrisburg including a tremendous book collection. Sad but true, if we had organized SRAC a few years earlier; perhaps we would now have a number of collections for display to help preserve our local history.

THE ARC SITE - The largest known Paleo Indian site in New York State

by SRAC Member, Stanley Vanderlaan, Albion, NY

The largest known Paleo Indian site in New York State was discovered by my dad, Jacob, and this writer in 1984 near Oakfield, New York (between Buffalo and Rochester). It was named the Arc Site and covers well over one hundred acres, which we have surface hunted many times. Hundreds of end and side scrapers (broken and complete) have been recovered. Also, many knives, spokeshaves, drills, gravers, limaces, sickles and preforms were found. Over 60 different fluted points (Clovis) are represented. Many thousands of waste flakes found shows that tools were made or resharpened here.
Most of the artifacts are made of local Onodaga chert, but about 5% are of Pennsylvania Jasper or Argilite, Eastern New York State Onondage, Flint Ridge (Ohio) or Canadian material.


These exotic (non-local) tools were carried into this area when they first arrived, as they didn't know if tool making stone existed here. Their lives depended on reliable tools.



Many of the fluted points represented are of bases only. This suggests that the tips were sometimes broken off the spears at the killing areas and that the wooden spear shafts were brought back to the camp where the broken flint bases were detached and discarded, then new points installed. Caribou were probably the main food source here as this provided food, shelter and clothing.


It is possible that these early hunters came to this area from the Shoop Site in Pennsylvania seasonally to intercept the caribou herds that were going east to the calving grounds in the Adirondack foothills in the Spring and southwest to Western Pennsylvania and Ohio in the Fall.

There is a high hill near the site from where, on a clear day, one can see Lake Ontario. From here, I suspect that these early hunters could have seen the receding glacier far to the North.

Since this is such an important site, I have mapped in each of the artifacts as they were found. We have a couple of radio carbon dates for the Arc Site: 10,370 plus or minus 108 and 11,700 plus or minus 110 years old.

Thanks to Jack Holland at the Buffalo Museum for measuring, weighing and numbering over 1700 tool specimens from this site.

The Horned Skeleton Story

While doing research for my article in Pa Archaeologist and making the website, www.SpanishHill.com , I have come acrossed many references to the "Giant Horned Skeletons" that were supposedly found in the 1880's "in a mound near Sayre, PA." Most people that contact me through the internet concerning this story do so because they believe that Spanish Hill must certainly be the mound that was being referenced. However, I have no evidence to support that theory. In fact, I have decided to provide what information I do have for you, the reader to decide whether this story is factual or merely a mythical legend.

"Chemung's Predecessors Huge Giants

Were Seven Feet Tall and Had Horns" - Thursday July 12, 1916.

This is the headline from the earliest news article that I can find. It is from 1916,( as opposed to the 1880's.) This article goes on to say that this is "One of the Most Remarkable Scientific Discoveries in History Made Here - Sixty Eight Skeletons of Men Living 700 years ago Unearthed between Sayre and Waverly"… "A Queer Fellow: He was seven feet in height. Horns protruded from his skull"…"horns of solid bone which grew straight out from the skull about two inches above the perfectly formed skull and which gave every evidence of having been there since birth."

However a follow-up article is also available to this article with a quote from one of the men from the Moorehead expedition who have been identified as the team who found the skeletons. In the follow-up article, Alanson Skinner, asked, "Will you grant me the privilege of correcting the assertions of a news dispatch concerning a find made by our party and the alleged discovery of a mound near Sayre, Pa, in which the bones of men seven feet and more were unearthed? The dispatch further narrates the astounding fact that on some of the skulls, two inches above the perfectly formed forehead, were protuberances of bone, the inference being that these monsters were horned!" Unfortunately, I can only include short excerpts from it here, but you get the idea and can read these articles in their entirety at:http://www.spanishhill.com/articles/horned.htm.

Later in 1921, the founder of the Tioga Point Museum and owner of the land where the burials were supposedly found, Louise Welles Murray followed this up with her explanation as to what had happened that day in her article, "Aboriginal Sites in and Near "Teago", now Athens, PA." In this article she stated, "While the writer was present one of the men in working a grave exclaimed, "There are horns over his head!" Mr. Skinner said that indicated chieftainship. Later this was found to be a bundle burial, completely covered with antlers of a Virginia deer. A passing visitor, however, heard the exclamation and attempted to verify it by interrogating a fun-loving Maine workman, and the story grew and was printed from coast to coast that one or more skulls had been found with horns growing from the forehead!"

Recently, I was given a small grocery store checkout style booklet that had the following on pages 16 & 17:

"It was the late 1880's. A group of scientists were conducting an expedition through the Bradford County area of Pennsylvania, in the northeastern part of the state near the New York state line.

The group, which included a Pennsylvania state historian and two professors, as well as a member of the Presbyterian church's hierarchy, had worked their way to a town called Sayre, where they became interested in a series of what appeared to be burial mounds.

Dr. P.G. Donehoo of the church and professor's A.B. Skinner and W.K. Moorehead of the American Investigation Museum and Phillips Academy in Andover, respectively led their group to the first of the mouonds to begin careful excavation.

What they uncovered has puzzled science for nearly a hundred years.

Painstakingly scraping away dirt and rocks the expedition revealed several skeletons of males. The burial date of the skeleltons was estimated at about A.D. 1200. So far, not unusual. But then they measured the remains and looked more closely at the structure. It was then discovered that the males had been over seven feet tall - - all of them - - a height unheard of in ancient times.

But strangest of all, close examinations of the skulls of the mystery men showed that they had horns...two actual horns apiece...that were an integral part of each skull.

Impossible, but they were there. Seven foot giants with horned skulls who died nearly 800 years ago.

The excited scientists carefully wrapped the remains for shipping and sent them to the American Investigation Museum in Philadelphia for closer examination. At the facility, scientists puzzled over the mysterious skeletons for months. Articles about them appeared in journals and magazines and then somehow they disappeared and were never seen again, taking with them the riddle that forever belongs to the unsolved." - Source: Great Unexplained Mysteries- Probing the Unknown - Globe Communications Corp, 1989

With that I have given you what I know or where to find it and will leave this up to you to decide for yourself what is truth or legend, and will just state that while I think it is a fun topic, it would be irresponsible to not include Skinner's and Murray's explanations in any report on this topic. So while you can find tons of references on the internet concerning our local "giants with horns" to this day, while you are surfing, don’t forget to check out all that I have compiled at:

http://www.spanishhill.com/skeletons/

Want to see actual local artifacts and learn more about the local Native Americans that lived here centuries ago? Visit SRAC at 345 Broad St. Waverly from 1-5pm Tuesdays - Fridays and 11-3pm on Saturdays!

July 21st - - SRAC and Andaste Chapter of PA Present: The Ancient Native Americans of the Wyoming Valley

July 21st is the next Andaste Chapter/SRAC joint presentation at 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY on July 21st from 6:30 - 8PM. As usual, collectors are invited to bring artifacts to share and discuss before and after the presentation. Admission is free to the public.


This presentation by John Orlandini, past president of the Luzerne County Historical Society, is directly related to his 1996 book, “The Ancient Native Americans of the Wyoming Valley: 10,000 year of prehistory.” The five years it took to accumulate the information for the book left him with an over-all knowledge of the early Native Americans who lived, hunted, and traded in the Wyoming Valley.

An unbelievable number of Native Americans lived there in prehistoric times during the Woodland Period according to archaeological evidence found throughout the Valley. When the Europeans arrived and started moving west from the East Coast, many of the early woodland dwellers were forced from their homelands. The Iroquois granted their brethran; the Nanticokes, Shawnee, and Delaware permission to settle in the Wyoming Valley with the agreement that they would protect the Valley in the name of the Iroquois.

Contact trade goods have been found at these sites during topsoil removal. Similarities and differences of the early and later cultures will be discussed.

John’s newly released book is entitled, “Indians, Settlers, and Forgotten Places in the Endless Mountains.” It covers Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming, and Susquehanna Counties, with discussions on the Wyalusing Path, stone tools used in everyday activities, flintknapping, Indian graves and petroglyphs, medals presented to the Indians by the English, In search of the Goose, the French Azilum, Friedenshutten, and twenty other interesting topics relating to the Endless Mountains.

The book will be available at our meeting for $17.95 and signed by the author.

OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY TAKES ACTION REGARDING THREE SITES

Pat and I walking around the Great Circle at Newark, Ohio in the summer of 2006.

When I visited the Newark site two years ago, my friend Pat Mason who is an incredible researcher on many topics and member of the "Friends of the Mounds" told me that the day before she was at the Great Circle and ran into some people who were checking out great sites like this for their vacation. When she asked them where they had been before visiting the Circle, they told her, "Spanish Hill" in South Waverly, PA....

As you might expect, Pat and I are close friends brought together by like situations only divided by state lines, and when she sent this to me this morning, I had to post it and say just how proud I am to know her and what changes her "Friends of the Mounds" group have been able to cause in just the past few years...

Here is a video of Newark's Octagon just two years ago with golfers of the "Mound Builder" Golf Course making good use of it: Click here.

News Release

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Historical Society Board of Trustees today took action regarding three of its sites at its regularly scheduled board meeting at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. The sites affected were the Newark Earthworks in Newark, Seip Mound in Ross County and Schoenbrunn Village in New Philadelphia.

The board approved the following motions:
o To authorize the National Park Service to evaluate whether and how the Newark Earthworks might become a part of the National Park System.

o To seek approval from the General Assembly to transfer ownership of Seip Mound State Memorial to the National Park Service. Transfer to include preservation easement or reversion clause.

o To authorize staff to enter into an agreement with Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, Inc., for the day-to-day management of Schoenbrunn Village State Memorial with the terms and details as established by staff.

“We think that these three actions are reflective of the Society’s continuing effort to maintain and improve access to the sites under its care while facing continuing budgetary pressures,” said William K. Laidlaw, executive director and CEO of the Ohio Historical Society. “The board has acted in the best interests of these three historic sites.”

Newark Earthworks - click here to see info about this site and my trip there
The Newark Earthworks is a complex that is 2,000 years old and at one time covered approximately four square miles. A people now referred to as the Hopewell built these enclosures sometime between 100 B.C. and 400 A.D. Scholars recognize it as the largest geometric earthworks ever created. Although much of it has been destroyed by more than a century of urban development, the most significant parts remaining are the Octagon, Great Circle and Wright earthworks.

In 2002-2003, as the Newark Earthworks Historic Site Management Plan was developed by the Ohio Historical Society, an advisory group, made up of members of the community, local officials, Native Americans and archaeologists, recommended that the site be turned over to the National Park Service. Because the Newark Earthworks is now being considered for nomination as a World Heritage Site by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Ohio Historical Society is looking to increase access and resources for the site.

The study would examine the costs and benefits of management of all three units of the site (Octagon, Great Circle and Wright earthworks) by the National Park Service and evaluate different ways that the site might be affiliated or become part of the National Park System. A similar study was conducted for the Hayes Presidential Center, an OHS site, in 1994, although no actions were taken following its completion.

With OHS approval, the National Park Service will be able to start its planning process. The study will not commit any party to any particular course of action. The OHS board, the legislature and Congress will need to approve any recommended steps.

-more-
Seip Mound
Seip Mound is the central mound in a group of geometric earthworks known as Seip Earthworks. The mound was built for burials by the Hopewell. About 10 acres of the site are for public use. ODOT has an easement on about 3.7 acres and maintains a roadside rest area, including restrooms, a picnic shelter and picnic tables. There is a small exhibit kiosk on the part maintained by the Society. The site also includes the Seip house, a brick residence built in the first half of the 19th century that is currently vacant. There is no OHS staff at the site.
Following analysis of Seip Mound as required by the Society policy and the holding of a public meeting on April 21, OHS staff recommended that the site be transferred to the National Park Service. The agency currently owns the remainder of the earthworks, so transfer of the property would unify control under one entity.

The National Park Service has the ability to accept the park without further congressional action as provided in the legislation that established Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in 1992. Although the site is owned by the Ohio Historical Society, it will need to seek approval of the General Assembly as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 149.30.

Schoenbrunn Village
David Zeisberger, a Moravian missionary, founded Schoenbrunn in 1772 as a mission to the Delaware Indians. Problems associated with the American Revolution prompted Schoenbrunn's abandonment five years later in 1777 and resettlement of its occupants. Its history features a rare meeting of Indian and European cultures and a fascinating perspective on the American Revolution. Today, the reconstructed village includes 17 log buildings, gardens, the original mission cemetery, and a museum and visitor center. Two picnic shelters, long enjoyed by the community, have been closed.

The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, Inc., approached the Ohio Historical Society in May to manage the site. Although the proposed change to a management agreement for Schoenbrunn Village was not part of the recent OHS budget reduction actions in April, the Society received their offer with interest because of the expected continuing pressure on its budget in future years.

The Ohio Historical Society administers the largest site system for any state historical organization. Using a local organization or agency has been a successful means of reducing the Ohio Historical Society’s operating expenses and keeping the site open to the public. The Society has been using managed partnership agreements since the 1980s. About half of OHS 58 sites are managed this way.

Employees at Schoenbrunn will be transferred to nearby Zoar Village. By increasing the staff at Zoar, site operations will be improved thereby enhancing the visitor experience.
The agreement is expected to be signed with the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in the next two weeks. An announcement will be made at that time.

The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, natural history and archaeology. For more information about programs and events, go online at www.ohiohistory.org.

SRAC “History’s Mysteries” Educational Series, “The Great Detour” by Dick Cowles

SRAC “History’s Mysteries” Educational Series, “The Great Detour” by Dick Cowles

The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) is proud to announce the next installment of their educational series, “History’s Mysteries” will be another little known and mysterious piece of our local history titled, “The Great Detour,” presented by Dick Cowles. Cowles will present research that he and his father, Ellsworth Cowles did concerning yet another French explorer in our region, Rene Robert De La Salle. Cowles believes that in the 1670’s LaSalle searched for the corridor to the Mississippi River through our region, and as a result leads us to some interesting questions:
- "Did LaSalle actually discover the Mississippi River two years before the Jesuits, Marquette and Joliet made the claim?"

And even more importantly to local historians:

- "Does the the Cowles' research prove that LaSalle visited Spanish Hill's “Carantouan” nearly 60 years after Brule?"

Please plan to attend this thought provoking presentation Tuesday, July 1st, from 6:30 – 7:30pm at SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY.

Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for SRAC members and $3 children under 18.

Click here to download flier!

To learn more about upcoming SRAC events, visit www.SRACenter.org/Events, or call 607-565-7960.

Birdstone Roundup! Saturday June 7th!

Don't miss the Birdstone Roundup hosted by the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center on Saturday, June 7th from 1pm - 4pm at 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY!

The birdstone is a very rare and unique artifact that any museum would be lucky to have one in it's collection. That is the why SRAC is hosting a Birdstone Roundup" and believe that for one day we will give the public a chance to see more birdstones in one place than you will be able to see
anywhere else regionally!

Ralph Rataul, Archaeology Collections Technician from the New York State Museum, will provide a digital presentation displaying the Museum's varied sample of approximately two-dozen birdstones.

In addition, we are calling out to all collectors to bring their birdstones from around the region. SRAC's membership alone has many birdstones to display!

Anyone wishing to display their birdstones at this event are asked to contact Deb Twig asap at (607)727-3111 or by replying to this email. Secure setup for collectors is from noon to 1pm. Join us for a very rare afternoon of sharing and learning.

Admission is $5 Adults, $4 SRAC Members, $3 Children

Remember that we are always adding events and the best way to keep track of all we are up to - - visit us online at http://www.sracenter.org/events/