Abstract

1. Land Use at the Cove River Historical Site from the Time of Indigenous Societies Through the Modern Day By Christopher Mazzacane Results- Land Use at the Cover River Historical Site Abstract • Methods Data was observed from obtaining, studying, and documenting artifacts found at the Cove River Site. The various artifacts found at the site were given dates based on known history and soil depth, and were used collectively to determine what types of societies lived at the site throughout different periods of history. Once the date of an artifact was approximated, it was studied to determine its function. For example, a piece of fire cracked rock all by itself is important, but it is not as important as four pieces of fire cracked rock arranged in semi-circle which indicates a hearth. This experiment was like a puzzle. The different pieces include the artifact itself, how far back it dates, and its use. Once the pieces are properly aligned, they give the archeologist a valuable picture of life in another era. The property that now makes up the Cove River Historical Site is a 15.28 acre piece of land purchased by the city of West Haven in 2002. The site gained prominence in 2004 when the owners of the land informed the city that approximately 254 Native American projectile points had been found at the site and were on display at the Peabody. The state archeologist, Nicholas Bellantoni, dug test pits at the site and confirmed its importance. In fact, some of the points at the Peabody were dated to 11,000 B.C. Since then, the site has been used constantly for research and educational purposes. I have been working on the site since 2012, and my aspect of research has focused on land use in West Haven from the time of indigenous societies up until the modern day. The Cove River Historical Site is an oasis of natural history secluded amidst a very urban setting. Problem Statement The purpose of this project is to further explore how people have used the land at the Cove River Historical Site throughout history and use that information to learn how the land can be better protected and used in the present day to promote sustainability and conservation of resources. Independent Variable: specific time period Dependent Variable: land use Future Directions First, research at the Cove River Historical Site is never ending. Next, it would be amazing to have the opportunity present this research to more people to help them understand that their waste does not simply disappear. Trash from the 1800s and 1900s has been found at the site in recognizable form because modern items are not easily biodegradable. If people were to see that their lifestyle has an impact on the world for hundreds of years beyond their existence, they would become responsible for their actions. Another step would be to pinpoint how techniques used by indigenous societies could be extrapolated for use in the modern world. Unfortunately, it is unrealistic to think that a modern society could ever reach the low level of waste produced by Native American societies. Hopefully, though, when given an opportunity to see how one’s daily actions affect the entire world, people will change their ways and move towards a more sustainable society. • Conclusions The most important environmental conclusion surrounding this experiment deals directly with land use of indigenous societies compared with land use of modern societies. Indigenous societies produced almost no waste. In deep pits, those at depths between 20 and 50 cm, there is very little waste. Points, features, and evidence of food preparation can be found, but that is about it. It is a known fact that when indigenous populations made clothing, dwellings, and tools from animals, they wasted nothing. Everything was respected. On the other hand, artifacts found in shallow pits, those measuring 0-20 cm deep, indicate that respect for the Earth had disappeared beginning at the time of contact all the way through the 1900s. This is evident because large amounts of discarded trash were found at the site. Broken leather shoes, bottles, jewelry, nails, and plates all indicate that unwanted items were simply discarded at the site and were eventually buried as time progressed. Instead of working their hardest to ensure that no waste was produced, humans in the modern era discarded anything they did not want. If there is one thing that can be learned from how indigenous societies lived, it is how to respect the Earth. Feature unearthed by my mentor Catherine Iaccarino in 2004. The feature remains uncovered and is used for research and educational purposes. It is believed that the feature contains the remains of a hearth. Photo credit to Catherine Iaccarino. Artifacts of Interest References Acknowledgements • Cuzzone, Holly. "Late Archaic and Late Woodlands Occupations at Cove River, West Haven: • New Data on Subsistence and the Narrow Point Tradition.” Print. Rpt. in Bulletin of the • Archeological Society of Connecticut. Archeological Society of Connecticut, 2009. 17-36. Print. • Cuzzone, Holly. Re-examining the Narrow Point Tradition: Prehistoric Occupations at Cove • River, West Haven, Connecticut. Thesis. Yale University, 2007. Print. • Graves, Scott M. "Cove River in Antiquity." Cove River Historical Site. 2009. Web. 7 May • 2012. http://coveriver.org/crs_antiquity.html. • Menta, John. "The Quinnipiac: Cultural Conflict in Souther New England." Print. Rpt. in Yale • University Publications in Anthropology. New Haven, CT: Department of Anthropology, • Yale University. Print I would like to thank give a special thank you to Kevin Dickson, Dr. Scott Graves, Holly Cuzzone, and Nicholas Bellantoni. Most importantly, I would like to thank my mentor Catherine Iaccarino for introducing me to archeology and supporting me every step of the way.