The Griffin Report
By Deb Twigg
Louise Welles Murray ~1854 - 1931 “The death of Mrs. Louise Welles Murray on April 22, 1931, just as this monograph, under her editorship, was about to issue from press, removed from the Society of Pennsylvania Archeology, and from the field of Pennsylvania archeology and history generally, one of its most valuable and forceful characters. No record has been kept of all the newspaper articles and various addresses which she prepared, and presented for the sake of Truth, seldom receiving in return. Many of these are preserved for reference in her museum she often laughingly declared was to be her monument. A better one would be difficult to erect. There she spent her last evening on earth, planning new work, having remarked that she did not have enough to do.� ~Bulletin of the Society For Pennsylvania Archaeology 1931
James B. Griffin • In 1927 after spending 2 years at the University of Chicago pursuing a Business degree, he transferred to the program of General Science and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science • In 1930, he had graduated from the University of Chicago with a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology and Anthropology. • Beginning in late May 1931 - James Griffin came to the Valley where he conducted field studies for the Tioga Point Museum until early July of that same year.
Griffin:1931
Griffin’s Team
George Rumph, James Griffin, M.L.Gore, T. Welch, Ed Caselbury, Dale Woodruff Griffin reports that Ellsworth Cowles worked with team at different sites during the first week (presumably vacation)
BR 42 – Ahbe-Brennan Site BR 5 - Murray Farm Site BR 27 – Top of Spanish Hill BR 41 - Thurston Farm The REAL SITE – BR41
Site 42 – The (Abhe-)Brennan Site
Ahbe Brennan Village Site – BR 42 “The depth of the humus, the shape of the pits, and the depth of the pits are clearly shown.” - Griffin:1931
12 Fire Pits Found in 1931 at BR 42 •Pit 1: potsherds, flint chips, bone fragments, shells and fire brick •Pit 2: Broken roller pestle, large fire brick, potsherds, flint chips, fire brick, bone fragments, shells, carapace of a small turtle •Pit 3: two broken triangular wide based arrow points, potsherds, flint chips, fore brick, shells. Two arrow points similar to those in the pit were found at the base of the humus line. •Pit 4: Potsherds, bone fragments, wood ash, shells, broken arrow point •Pit 5: Potsherds, flint chips, sternum of a duck •Pit 6: Potsherds, flint chips, bone fragments, shells •Pit 7: not reported on (error) •Pit 8: Five bone tubular beads, potsherds, flint chips, shells, bone fragments •Pit 9: Pieces of a broken pot, triangular wide base arrow point, potsherds, bone fragments, flint chips, shells and fire brick •Pit 10: Potsherds, broken arrow points, net sinkers, flint chips, shells •Pit 11: 3 ½ ” bone harpoon, potsherds, bone fragments, two arrow points, flint chips, fire brick •Pit 12: Two arrow points, 2 ¾” bone on, flint chips, bone fragments
Pit 2 (labeled in error as Pit 1 in report)
BR-42 Pit #9
Griffin states that all arrow points found at BR-42 were of the “wide -based� triangular style. (see above) A total of 9 full and partial arrow points were reported from all BR-42 pits in 1931.
Bone fragment Identifications: • Most Common bone remains: – Virginia Deer
• Largest bone fragment found: – Elk
• Others – – – – – – –
Jaw and tooth of black bear Jaw of raccoon Jaw of a domestic dog about size of a fox Bones of another domestic dog size of a collie Tooth of a beaver Humerus of a “large bird” unidentified Didn’t he say that Pit 5 had the sternum of a duck?????Not reported in bone fragments in the site.
Burials at Brennan Site - BR-42 • Burial #1 - Adult Male approximately 50 yrs old, extended burial. • Burial #2 - child just past the age of 6 in a small coffin made from white pine.(“The wood was badly decayed but the outlines of the box were unmistakable.” Griffin:1931)
BR42 – Burial 1 1.) The Trade Pipe “White artifacts with the burial consisted of a white clay pipe with a broken bowl and a thin object of iron not yet identified7 It was at first thought that the monogram “IB” on the side of the bowl of the white clay pipe found would be of great help in determining the age of the site. While other clay pipes have been found with rough dates assigned to them, none of them previously found have carried the same mark7 My interpretation is that the site is post – European. This period could probably be assigned to the approximate dates of 1650 – 1750.” Griffin:1931
BR42 – Burial 1 2.) The Pottery: “at the feet of the burial both above and below the level of the skeleton many large and small potsherds of more than one vessel found7 If it could be definitely stated that the pottery at the feet was a burial offering, the burial could be unhesitatingly assigned to the same age of the surrounding pits.” Griffin:1931
“While one of the jars at the feet indicates Iroquois influence, the other is so-called Algonkian in shape7and could have been coexistent in an Algonkian village recently coming under influence of the Iroquois7” Cowles:1931
BR42 – Burial 1 2.) The Pottery: “After the skeleton had been removed, a large pot was discovered to the east of the burial area7found mouth down. It was whole when it was discovered but the weight of the earth had cracked it so that it came apart when uncovered. The pit in which the restored pot was found was almost certainly separate from that excavated for the burial.” Large “Archaic Algonkian” jar found at the right of the male burial in site BR42. Height 11 ½”, inside diameter at mouth 8’, greatest circumference 28’.
Griffin:1931
BR42 – Burial 1 3.) “A Thin Piece of Metal”
Any guesses?
BR 42 - Burial 2 • Child in a white pine coffin – just past the age of 6 • The skeletal material was scattered in the coffin. • There were no artifacts found in the burial • Whether this was a later white burial or an Indian burial that the group had been converted to Christianity or had missionary influence was questioned.
Griffin’s Beliefs on Dating BR42 “I feel that the burial (burial #1), which from the physical type has been identified as Indian, was buried by the group who left the physical evidence (fire pits) of their occupancy. The clay pipe and unidentified metal object being evidence, accordance to my interpretation that the site is post European.” (Griffin:1931)
Griffin:1931
Griffin’s Conclusions on BR 42
Griffin:1931
BR 5, The Murray Farm
6 Burials at BR-5 in 1931 • Burial 1 (Female 18-24)– No artifacts, ribs, vertebrae, pelvis, scapula, and some long bones were missing. • Burial 2 (female 50)– No artifacts, the seven cervical and the first thoracic were the only vertebrae found. The long bones were buried in one group and the pelvis lay in about the right position for a flexed burial. • Burial 3 (not identified)- No artifacts, only the skull and a few portions of skeletal material could be found. • Burial 4 (female 13)– No artifacts, 13 year old girl, best condition • Burial 5 (male over 45)- we will come back to… • Burial 6 (female 36-47)- No artifacts, skeletal material scattered about, even the skull being made up of scattered fragments Griffin:31
57 burials found at BR-5 in 1916, •“In some cases a part of a vessel occurred in one grave and other fragments of the same utensil in another some distance away” •“A number of graves were opened in which there were no skeletons, or at best only a few portions of bones-.Some may have been rifled through by whites-.” (Moorehead:1938)
Griffin: Scarcity of Artifacts at BR-5 “The conclusion reached in the Second Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission by the secretary of the expedition (1916) that the scarcity of the artifacts found with the bodies indicates that the group to which these Indians belonged “was not in prosperous condition , is I think, not justified. It might rather be that the lack of artifacts indicates that the particular time at which these bodies were buried this group did not place many cultural evidences with their dead.” (Griffin:1931)
“Old Tioga Point and Early Athens” - 1908 “It may be said that the first recorded discovery of an extensive Indian burial place at Tioga Point was by Sullivan’s soldiers, close to their camp, mentioned in many journals, and an object of interest and amusement to all of the troops.” Murray:1908
August 11, 1779
Burial #5 – BR-5 (1931) • Complete flexed burial • No artifacts except for an effigy pipe with two faces.
BR5 – Murray Farm “If a comparison be made of the artifacts found in the Murray Garden with those found at this burial ground a striking similarity will be noticed. Certainly it would indicate that the two sites are of the same culture.” – Griffin:1931 Murray Farm – Griffin 1931
BR 43-Kennedy Site 2-faced pipe bowl T. Valillee Collection
Site BR-”41” – Thurston Farm (Extension of BR-5 the Murray Farm)
“Six test holes were sunk along the west side of the state road and disturbed soil was found in three of them. A connecting trench was run from Pit 1 to Pits 2 and 3. It was found that the major parts of Pits 1 and 2 extended under the road to the east and for that reason complete information on those pits is not available�. Griffin:1931 Six pits in total were dug at this location.
Route 220
Thurston Farm - BR5
Thurston Farm BR5 • “The most productive area of the site was Pit 5…After the fired area was delineated the top soil was removed… • Many flint chips were present but only one small triangular point was recovered. Eight net sinkers were taken from the fire place. There were some few pieces of pottery found at random throughout this upper disturbed area. • As the actual fireplace was removed it was noticed that the disturbed area continued below the point which showed contact with fire. • A large stone slab 2 feet long, 13 ‘ wide and 2’ thick was removed • Below this stone at the depth of 3’9’ the broken remains of a good size pot was found. • It is evident from the structure of the fire place that an excavation was first made and pottery was placed at the bottom.” Griffin:1931
Thurston Farm BR5 • The surface soil was removed from a small area in the southwest corner of the staked area – artifacts included: • Two arrow points • Two net sinkers • Flint chips • Potsherds • 1 small blue glass trade bead later by the Heye Foundation as “Russian”
Griffin’s Conclusions – Thurston Farm “The pottery and general character of this camp site indicates that BR 41 (actually BR5) was the temporary home of an Algonkian group which I would tentatively date as later than BR5 and earlier than BR 42.” Griffin:1931
Top of Spanish Hill Site BR-27
Top of Spanish Hill Site BR-27 Griffin’s Trenches
7
8
6
1 2 3
5 4
Griffin’s Work at Spanish Hill “The major excavations on Spanish Hill consisted of eight trenches and numerous test pits in the ridge.” Griffin:1931
Trench 1 A.) “Thin layer of topsoil or humus” B.) “Mixed darker humus” At the bottom of this dark layer, charcoal and fire colored earth were found along the east face of the trench
C.) Light Yellow Loess D.) Hard Brown Earth
Griffin:1931
Trench 3 The only potsherd that was found on Spanish Hill by our group came from this trench. It was a small rim piece, grit tempered, the surface was smoothed with incised parallel lines which slant at an angle of 45 degrees. Griffin:1931
Trench 5 “The cross section againshows the thin humus line. The layer of mixed humus and loess varied from 4 inches at the western end to 2’ 6” at the crest of the ridge.” Griffin:1931
Griffin’s Conclusions on Spanish Hill “That Spanish Hill was used by the Indians is amply proved by the amount of material picked up from its surface in the past. From the work of the summer of 1931 the embankment does not appear to have been made at one time. If the evidence of the fire in Trench 1 is Indian in origin, it would indicate that the occupation antedated the construction of the embankment by some considerable period of time. None of the trenches excavated nor the test pits on the embankment disclosed any evidence of post holes or of a trench on the inside of the embankment.” Griffin:1931
Question In 1916 The Susquehanna River Expedition sunk 400 test pits around the top outer edge edge of Spanish Hill – right where Griffin’s trenches were. (see image) Shouldn’t this disturbed earth have shown up in the Griffin trenches in 1931?
Past Records of the Embankments on Top of Spanish Hill Site BR-27:
Earliest Reference to Embankments • "Near the confines of Pennsylvania a mountain rises from the bank of the river Tioga (Chemung) in the shape of a sugar loaf upon which are seen the remains of some entrenchments. These the inhabitants call the Spanish Ramparts, but I rather judge them to have been thrown up against the Indians in the time of M. de Nonville. One perpendicular breastwork is yet remaining which, though covered with grass and bushes, plainly indicates that a parapet and a ditch have been constructed here." (La Rochefoucald-Liancourt 1795:76-7)
Alexander Wilson, celebrated ornithologist from Philadelphia who wrote in 1804: "Now to the left the ranging mountains bend, And level plains before us wide extend; Where rising lone, old Spanish Hill appears, The post of war in ancient unknown years. It's steep and rounding sides with woods embrowned, It's level top with old entrenchments crowned; Five hundred paces thrices we measured o'er, Now overgrown with woods alone it stands, And looks abroad o'er open fertile lands."
“Early Times on The Susquehanna” “Many now living remember the beautiful flat lawn of several acres on top of the hill, and an enclosure of earth 7 to 8 feet high which was within a quarter of a century been leveled by the plow and harrow.” Perkins:1906
IP Shepard - (Murray 1908:58) IP Shepard created the following illustration with the help of Charles Henry Shepard, whose residence, throughout a long life of eighty seven years, was close to the hill and who remembered "distinctly" the "Spanish Ramparts" before the plow of an overzealous farmer nearly leveled them to the ground. The double lines in the diagram indicate portions still clearly defined, and were evidently made much higher to protect those portions of the hill that were easily assailable. The dotted line inside this angle, Mr. Shepard thinks indicated a palisade for greater security." (Murray 1908:58)
Warren K. Moorehead - 1916 • Mr. Warren Moorhead even made reference to these fortifications in the Susquehanna River Expedition when he visited the Sugar Creek site further south of Spanish Hill. • “Traces of a fortified hilltop, there being distinct traces of embankments. This being smaller than Spanish Hill, but it resembled same. It contained Iroquoian pottery and triangular flint points, probably Andaste." (Moorehead 1938:70)
~ Ellsworth Cowles
Summing Up The Griffin Report‌ And its lasting effects on our understanding of our local archaeology‌
Published Works Vs. Un-Published Works
Published Works…
Can Be Built Upon or Even Corrected: Corrected: “Given the defensive structure of Spanish Hill and reports of fortifications there, it seems as likely a candidate as any for the fortified stronghold of Carantouan reported by Brule. Until more information is known, it seems imprudent to eliminate Spanish Hill as a possible site related to the nation of Carantouan, as some researchers have done.” (Kent 1984:300301, McCracken 1984) Twigg:2005 (PA Archaeologist, Volume 75, 2, Fall 2005)
Un-Published Works… Can Take on a Life of their Own
ALTERNATIVE MITIGATION TO THE INTERSTATE FAIRGROUNDS SITE - David L. Weinberg, Archaeologist
Kent:1984
The Power of a Myth: 1984 – decision sheet where Spanish Hill was denied historic preservation:
Ellsworth Cowles’s bible inside cover: