NYSAA Bulletin No. 52 — Archaic Sites: Croton Point & Dogan Point — Passage 16 (part 2)

[Various (1971)] It appears that this structure was either divided in half or an addition added at a later date (post mold pattern in 10N10W, 20N10W). Within this structure were ten features, one of which showed evidence of a fire stain. The present evidence indicates a village composed of three circular houses and one rectangular house, possibly surrounded by a wall of paired posts. It is possible that three other houses may be indicated by the post mold patterns on 20N50E, 20S10W and 0N10W. However, it has been impossible to continue excavation to determine whether these are in fact houses. Features 6-44: These 39 features, commonly referred to as pits or hearths, seem to have been used for a variety of purposes; cooking, storage, and refuse containers.

It appears that many of these features had multiple functions, first for storage, then as refuse containers, and finally as hearths. Thirty-seven of these features were excavated during the field sessions; one of these did not appear to be aboriginal. Features 20 and 30 were not excavated. The 36 aboriginal multi-purpose features excavated varied in size from 1 to 5 ft, in diameter, in depth, from 0.2 ft. to 2.3 ft., with generally oval or circular outlines, and either bowl-shaped or straight sides and with flat bottoms in cross-section. The contents of these features included fire-cracked rock, pottery, flint flakes, decomposing shell, small fragments of bone, projectile points, and worked or unworked stone.