Geology and Earth ScienceNewsday.com: Ancient Indian burial site found in Riverhead park
Posted by Liz
To read the original article click here.
I had to comment on this article because it was extremely interesting to me for more than one reason. For one thing, I have lived on Long Island my whole life and was always interested in Indians and artifacts. Also I live down the street from this park and I have always camped there growing up. It so weird that these remains were found because before this happened I was at the park about a week early right around were the remains were found.
A park in Riverhead “Indian Island Park” is a park open to the public for camping hiking golfing or any leisure activity. Recently bones, a pipe piece and bowl were found. The heavy rains we had in October must have brought the remains to the surface. The bones are believed to be from Indians, dating as far back as 800 BC to 800 AD. The bones were obviously burned, there was a piece of a jaw bone and skull, said to be from two or three different Indians. The pipe was still nearly perfect and said to have geometric detail on it. People said that it was obvious that these people were burned or cremated, which leads us to believe that this was a burial place. But why were they burned? Maybe they were cremated or maybe it was some sort of belief. Officials are not sure what to do with the remains yet. They feel that they should put them back and bury them because of the cultural beliefs. Right now they are being studied so they can be dated and find out exactly who they came from. If it was my decision I would probably bury them back up because it was obvious to be a burial ground from years ago. It’s so interesting to me. there are probably so many more bones and artifacts in that same spot. I wonder if the officials will go ahead and dig up more out of curiosity or let it go in peace. Right now police are watching this place very carefully, they don’t want any intruders.
To read the original article click here.
I had to comment on this article because it was extremely interesting to me for more than one reason. For one thing, I have lived on Long Island my whole life and was always interested in Indians and artifacts. Also I live down the street from this park and I have always camped there growing up. It so weird that these remains were found because before this happened I was at the park about a week early right around were the remains were found.
A park in Riverhead “Indian Island Park” is a park open to the public for camping hiking golfing or any leisure activity. Recently bones, a pipe piece and bowl were found. The heavy rains we had in October must have brought the remains to the surface. The bones are believed to be from Indians, dating as far back as 800 BC to 800 AD. The bones were obviously burned, there was a piece of a jaw bone and skull, said to be from two or three different Indians. The pipe was still nearly perfect and said to have geometric detail on it. People said that it was obvious that these people were burned or cremated, which leads us to believe that this was a burial place. But why were they burned? Maybe they were cremated or maybe it was some sort of belief. Officials are not sure what to do with the remains yet. They feel that they should put them back and bury them because of the cultural beliefs. Right now they are being studied so they can be dated and find out exactly who they came from. If it was my decision I would probably bury them back up because it was obvious to be a burial ground from years ago. It’s so interesting to me. there are probably so many more bones and artifacts in that same spot. I wonder if the officials will go ahead and dig up more out of curiosity or let it go in peace. Right now police are watching this place very carefully, they don’t want any intruders.
7 Comments:
Well I too did hear about this and it amazed me as well. I also found it to be very interesting also because I was walking around Indian Island park a few weeks prior as well. In some ways it would be very interesting to try and find more artifacts just so we can study any rituals they may have had and try to understand there life a little better. But at the same time if it is a burial site I would want to eave it where it is because I wouldn't want to disturb or undo what someone else did many years ago. Some tribes are known to bury there people with some of there personal belongings which could explain why the artifacts were found with the bones.
I also found this article very interesting no one really knows what they will find if they start digging around in there backyards or other place around the island. I think in the case of the Indian remains they should be placed back after they are studied and dated. I do not think they should be burned then replaced. I think they should be just reburied as they were in a spot similar to where they were found. I mean they were left not cremated for a reason and should remain how the former owner would have liked it.
I also found this article very interesting no one really knows what they will find if they start digging around in there backyards or other place around the island. I think in the case of the Indian remains they should be placed back after they are studied and dated. I do not think they should be burned then replaced. I think they should be just reburied as they were in a spot similar to where they were found. I mean they were left not cremated for a reason and should remain how the former owner would have liked it.
It is so weurd to hear that bone fragments and pottery from indians that are from 800bc, were found so close to our home. For some reason, i never think of what life was like for them or what long island was like. It never really occured to me that there were people living here before we were, or at least not until I read this article. I dont not understand how rainy weather could have uncovered an ancient indian burial site; it must have not been that deep. I think it is right to dig up the rest of the remains, so this story would not be such a mystery anymore. Why would we bury and seal up and ancient Indian site? Do we not have a right to know about our ancestral past? Archeologists might be able to make a realistic site, just like the museum of natural history with the dinosaud bones. Instead a site that resembles the site in which this Natve Americans lived in. I understand that it is private, but maybe that is what they would want; us to learn about their way of life. How are we supposed to understand evolution and various cultures ways of life, if everything is supposed to be off limits and buried? Archeologists who are interested would without doubt, treat it cautiosly; it is obviously what they love to do. On the other hand, it is someone else's grave and that thought should definitely be accounted for. Archeologists are not trying to harmn or damage any evidence I am sure.
This archaeological find reminds me of the importance in preserving certain areas that might hold key elements in uncovering the past. We seem to be bulldozing much more than we should be in the present moment in time, and if all these mega-conglomerate corporations continue with their urban sprawl, we might just destroy or cover up all that is buried at our feet, buried treasures of our ancestors that may in fact teach us important elements of the technologies that ancient cultures used, giving us the benefit to move into the future with awesome knowledge at our disposal. It is extremely important we realize the power these sites and random finds yield to our civilization and that in driving an extra 2 miles for a starbucks coffee might not be that bad if it means discovering a new way the ancient people of Long Island harvested their food. We should inform ourselves of any sites that may lie in danger of falling victim to the "piece of land" billionaire CEO's might invest in as a location to hold their hobby sheds, and protest it. Money should not be able to buy the sound of a gavel falling for victory to build. These sites should be owned by the people of the area and studied by our professionals so we may have something new and exciting to read about as we sip our coffee at the starbucks 4 miles from our home.
I found this very interesting because they found something that has been hided for years and it was right under our nose.
It's really cool to learn what these Indian in the past did so differently then what we do today. Today people rely on computers and machines to do the work for them, mean while back then they had nothing that we have today and they did pretty well from them selves. I know for me that when my computer is not working or the tv I get mad because I have nothing to do for while until I fix my computer or the tv comes back when they fix it. Even better then those things is the cell phone because th cell phone can do so much more these days with text messaging, taking pictures, the web, downloading music or tv programs. People go crazy when they don't have it on them or it dies on them. We say it is for emergences but the thing is we are so use to it and makes our lives a lot easier. But these Indian didn't have the cell phone they had woods and stone to send smoke signals out for help. They also relied on the spirits and the stars to guide them.
With the bones, pipe piece and the bowl that they found should go back were they found it because it seems like a burial ground and you never want to miss with those types of things. Even though people might be saying it should go in a museum so every one can see it but it’s really none of those peoples business because those bones were buried for a reason, it’s just like us going to someone’s grave after a rain storm and gathering bones from the coffins of loves ones that have been raised up from the storm and tell those families that their loves ones bones have been found and are being place in a museum so people can see them. It’s just not right for them to keep those bones in a museum and that’s the reason they should be put back. It’s also good idea that they have police officers making sure that no one else disturbs the remains.
Its interesting to see these findings around us. You get to see and hear what use to go on in your very own town and how it used to be back then when it was basically all woods. You could go dig in you own backyard and find artifacts that were buried and lost for years and not even know what you found or even know that you found it and think its just a rock or something. It makes me think when we tore down walls in the house and found a box inside with old letters written in German from people who used to live here many years ago and find out what was going on then in their lives. The Indians now are fighting for there land out east as it was there’s then and they want it back and as we can see they were there many years ago. I think they should dig up around there and see if they can find anything else like more pipes or fossils or even more artifices and study them. When they are done they should put them back in there place as that’s there burial grounds. We might be able to find hunting tools they used. Finding historic things just make you wonder what was going on and why did they do this and not this way. and especially when there remains were found burnt. Was it really because they get buried that way, or was it a murder or some spiritual thing that they do to old people or young ones. Who knows. its just a guess of what could have gone on.
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