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The focus of the 2007 field season was to follow up on the excavations conducted in 2005, considering trade relationships between Native Americans and Europeans (both French and British) through the archaeological analysis of areas where trade took place. Based on previous archaeological finds and documentary evidence, the area in front of the Castle represents a likely area for trade activity. |
The documentary record does not provide specific information on where Indians and Europeans met to trade, though frequent council meetings and Indian visits to Fort Niagara were recorded. The council meetings considered various diplomatic alliances, and involved exchanges of wampum and pipe smoking as symbols of intent. It is likely that other gifts were distributed and other goods were exchanged at this time as well. Some references mention that trade-related activity occurred in the “officers’ quarters”. Some officers’ quarters were located within the Castle; however, most scholars consider it unlikely that Indians had access to the interior of the Castle, since the building served a defensive purpose. |
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| Maps from 1755 through 1796 identify additional officers’ quarters in front of the Castle. This building, perpendicular to the Castle’s main entrance, is referred to as Structure 408a/408b, using military labeling protocol, with a and b denoting the building’s apparent shift to the north and elongation over the course of the 18th century. These changes are likely to represent alterations during the building’s life that are difficult to tie to the contemporary landscape. Because of the key location of Structure 408a/b and its relationship to the Castle, it is possible that trade occurred either within this building or outside of it, in the zone between Structure 408a/b and the Castle. |
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Archaeological testing in this area in the 1980s revealed occasional trade beads and intact deposits, despite the many utility lines that traverse the area. With careful mapping and some trial and error, three 2 x 2 m units were excavated in 2005. Three more units are underway during the 2007 season. Measuring from historic maps and extant features (principally, the Castle itself) allowed for the tentative identification of the location of buildings marked on historic maps. Digitization of historic maps into a GIS database facilitated the identification of postulated historic building locations with actual points in the field. Units 25, 26, and 27 were placed to recover information about Building 408 and its immediate surroundings. This web site will show the dig as it progresses week by week. |
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Co-directors: Lab director: Staff Conservator Curator, Old Fort Niagara: |
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Click on the Daily Dig for weekly progress photos of the Field School. |
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Visit the Fort's Conservation Lab busy with 2007 Field School finds. |
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