Knapping 9,000 Years at Compo: The Bradley-Punzelt Collection (PPT slides)

Knapping 9,000 Years at Compo

The Bradley-Punzelt Collection

[email protected]

Presented to the Archaeological Society of Connecticut Spring Meeting

30 April 2005, Washington Depot, CT

mailto:[email protected]

Algonquian placename.

Hughes & Allen 1976:659

Compo or Compaug

“Bear’s fishing place”

Saugatuck or Sauki-tuck

“Outlet of tidal-stream”Algonquian placename.

Hughes & Allen 1976:754

Grays Creek looking south. Note edible cattails (Typha latifolia)

Of Onions...

"To plant onions not only the rocks had to be cleared from a

field, but all the smaller stones as well.... " (Foster 1985: 19)

to prevent injuring the mules or jamming the onion harvesters.

Westport

...& Arrowheads

Frederick W. Beers, Atlas of New York & Vicinity, 1868

David Bradley,

ca. 1900

Frank Punzelt,

ca. 1878

“Some came from Grandfather [Frank] Punnzelt’s farm on Greens Farms Road,

‘but most came from [grandma Jennie Bradley Punzelt’s house at] Compo Beach.”

(Phillip Punzelt, Jr. in Foster 1991:8)

“Father (Edmund C. Smith) hunted arrow heads in our (Saugatuck)

river bank.” (Katharine Smith Punzelt on back of photo, 1980s)

Provenience

Frederick W. Beers, Atlas of New York & Vicinity, 1868

Jane (Jennie) Bradley Punzelt (1861-1943) & Frank Punzelt (1848-

1900) collected 500+ lithic artifacts from the family onion farm.

300 have been

traced to living heirs.

Bradley

Beach

House

Compo Beach

Westport, CT

Longshore

Golf Course

Grays Creek

Artifacts

Bradley-Punzelt CollectionCompo-Saugatuck, Westport, Connecticut

Ceramic, Hackney Pond (n = 1)

Contact 350-250 BP

Compo-Saugatuck, Westport,

ConnecticutRim sherd, incised collared, shell-tempered, 5mm thick

(cf. Lavin & Kra 1994: 37)

Gorget, Incised (n= 1)

Compo-Saugatuck, Westport, Connecticut

Full-Grooved Axe, 10 oz. (n = 1)


Connecticut

Drill (n = 10 )

Compo-Saugatuck

Westport, Connecticut

Rhyolite Chert Quartz

Knife (n = 3)

Compo-Saugatuck

Westport, Connecticut

Quartz Chert

Scraper (n = 33)


Quartz Chert Rhyolite (?)

Atlatl Weight

Reed & Sand-drilled Shaft

Archaic 9000 - 3400 BP

Compo-Saugatuck, Westport Connecticut

Oval

(n = 1)

Atlatl Weight

Reed & Sand-drilled Shaft

Archaic 9000 - 3400 BP

Compo-Saugatuck, Westport

Connecticut

Wing

(n = 1)

Rhyolite

Atlatl Weight Functions-1Archaic 9000 - 3400 BP

Timing Device. The atlatl weight is a timing device influencing the

amount and rate at which the spring energy of an atlatl is stored and released

against the spring energy of a dart. The weight resists acceleration, forcing the

spring of the atlatl to store an equal and opposite amount of energy to that

stored in the spring of the dart. Smoother, more controlled and powerful

launches make for better accuracy. (Perkins 1993)

Silencer. When a stick or atlatl is swung an audible "zip-like" noise is generated.

…when a Banner Stone is attached this noise is significantly reduced, generating

more of a low frequency "woof" as opposed to the high frequency "zip" sound. The

focus of maximum sound suppression seems to be between 20 and 25 meters,

indicating an effect known as superposition of sound waves. (Perkins 1993)

Atlatl Weight Functions-2Archaic 9000 - 3400 BP

Fishing: Atlatl vs. BowArchaic 9000 - 3400 BP

To get a dart through this you need sharp points and enough energy to break through

a quarter inch of bone-like skin. It can be done with a bow but the arrow looses

energy much faster than a harpoon dart. The added length and weight of the dart

allow deeper penetration of the water, with enough energy left to penetrate the thick

hide of the gar [or sturgeon].

sturgeon

gar

Diagnostic Points

Bradley-Punzelt Farm Collection


Triangular Point

Late Woodland 700-350 BP

Compo-Saugatuck, Connecticut

Levanna (n = 14)

Chert Quartz

Triangular PointLate Woodland

1200-350 BP

Compo-Saugatuck

Connecticut

Madison (n = 3)

ChertQuartz

Lanceolate PointMiddle Woodland 2000-1200 BP


Fox Creek Lanceolate (n = 3)

Lanceolate Point

Middle Woodland 2000-1200 BP


Connecticut

Jack’s Reef Pentagonal (n= 3)

Chert

Side-Notched Point

Early Woodland 2700-2000 BP


Chert

Meadowood

(n=2)

Contracting Stem Point

Early Woodland 2700-2000 BP


Connecticut

Rossville (n = 9)

QuartzChert

Expanding Stemmed Point

Terminal Archaic 3400-2700 BP


Connecticut

Susquehanna Broad

(n = 3)

Chert Chert Rhyolite

Mansion Inn

(n = 1)

Chert

Straight Stemmed Point

Terminal Archaic 3400-2700 BP


Connecticut


Late Archaic 4000-2000 BP


Connecticut

Wading River

(n = 29)

Quartz Chert Normanskill

Shale




Connecticut

Quartzite

Genesee

(n = 1)




Connecticut

Squibnocket Stemmed

(n = 3)

Quartz

Glued

Expanding Stemmed Point



Connecticut

Orient Fishtail

(n = 10)

Quartz Rhyolite

Triangular Point



Connecticut

Hunterbrook (n = 2)

Quartz

Triangular Point



Connecticut

Beekman Triangle (n = 9)

Quartz Chert

Triangular Point



Connecticut

Squibnocket Triangle (n = 9)

Quartz Chert

Side-Notched PointLate Archaic 5000-3400 BP


Connecticut

Brewerton

Side-Notched

(n = 12)

Brewerton

Eared-Notched

(n = 6)

ChertChert QuartzMudstone



Connecticut

Sylvan

(n = 20)

QuartzChert



Connecticut

Normanskill

(n = 1)

Quartz

Corner-Notched PointLate Archaic 5000-3400 BP


Connecticut

Chert

Jack’s Reef

(n = 1)

Corner-Notched PointLate Archaic 5000-3400 BP


Connecticut

Vosburg

(n = 2)

RhyoliteQuartz

Contracting Stemmed PointLate Archaic 5000-3400 BP


Snook Kill

(n = 9)

Chert Rhyolite Yellow Jasper Quartz

Contracting Stemmed PointLate Archaic 5000-3400 BP


Connecticut

Poplar Island?

(n = 3)

ChertQuartz

Contracting Stemmed Point

Middle Archaic 7000-5000 BP


Connecticut

Stark

(n = 1)

Slate


Middle Archaic 7000-5000 BP


Connecticut

Neville

(n = 1)

Quartz

Bifurcate Point

Early Archaic 9000-7000 BP

Compo-Saugatuck,

Connecticut

(n = 1)

Quartz

Analysis

Chronology of the Prehistoric Periods

of Southern New England

Period Date Range

(Years Before Present - BP)

Contact Period 350-250 Years BP

Late Woodland Period 1200-350 Years BP

Middle Woodland Period 2000-1200 Years BP

Early Woodland Period 2700-2000 Years BP

Terminal Archaic Period 3400-2700 Years BP

Late Archaic Period 5000-3400 Years BP

Middle Archaic Period 7000-5000 Years BP

Early Archaic Period 9000-7000 Years BP

Paleoindian Period 12,000-9000 Years BP

After McBride 1984

Table 2: Projectile Point Use Analysis, Surface, Compo, Westport, CT

Material Total

Condition Interpretation Quartz Chert Ryolite Argillite n %

Unground, broken Discarded 3 3 17%

Unground, complete Unfinished 2 2 11%

Ground, complete Unused 3 2 1 1 7 39%

Ground, broken Used 6 6 33%

Total (n) 12 4 1 1 18

% 67% 22% 6% 6% 100%

Point Use Analysis

Preliminary Findings (n = 12)

(19 50) Poi nts Rate

Period From To Years Recovered % (Points/Century)

Contact 350 250 100 0 0% 0.0

Late Woodland 1200 350 850 17 9% 2.0

Middle Woodland 2000 1200 800 7 4% 0.9

Early Woodland 2700 2000 700 13 7% 1.9

Terminal Archaic 3400 2700 700 3 2% 0.4

Late Archaic 5000 3400 1,600 156 80% 9.8

Middle Archaic 7000 5000 2,000 1 1% 0.1

Early Archaic 9000 7000 2,000 1 1% 0.1

Paleoindian 12000 9000 3,000 0 0% 0.0

Totals 11,750 198 100% 1.7

Projectile Point Deposition Rate #1Compo-Saugatuck, Westport, CT

Future Research:

3. Date/Identify the 100+ Untyped Points.

2. Locate/analyze the other 200+ pieces of the

Bradley-Punzelt “arrowhead” collection.

1. Finish the Point Use Analysis for the

remaining 186 points.

Side-Notched Point


Connecticut

Untyped

(n = 1)

Chert

Side-Notched Point


Connecticut

Quartz

Untyped

(n=2)



Connecticut

Untyped

(n = 1)

Yellow Jasper

Corner-Notched PointCompo-Saugatuck, Westport

Connecticut

Chert

Untyped

(n = 1)

Amerindians occupied Compo-Saugatuck, Westport,

Connecticut for 9,000 years before European contact.

Conclusions-1

• Knapping in Westport peaked in the Late Archaic

Florescence (cf. Snow 1980:187) with 10 times the

deposition/production rate and greatest diversity in

point styles of any other period, coinciding with stable

warmer climate at 5000 BP and increased food sources.

Conclusions -2

Conclusions -3Onondega

Escarpment

• Mottled chert & yellow jasper

points reflect glacial transport

and/or coastal/riverine trade.

References

Hughes, A. H. and Morse S. Allen. Connecticut Place Names. Hartford: Connecticut

Historical Society, 1976.

Foster, Joanna. “Sifting Through Compo Beach and Saugatuck,” Carousel 3:5, 8-9,

April 1991.

Beers, F. W., Atlas of New York & Vicinity, 1868.

Prindle, T. & J. Lizee, Archaeological Assessment, Town of Westport, CT, 1989.

Perkins, W. R. “Atlatl Bob”, “Atlatl Weights: Function and Classification,”

Bulletin of Primitive Technology, No. 5 Spring 1993.

Lavin, L. & Kra, R. “Prehistoric Pottery Assemblages from Southern Connecticut,”

Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut, 1994.

Snow, D. R. Archaeology of New England. NY: Academic Press, 1980

Boudreau, Jeff, A New England Typology of Native American Projectile Points Asland MA:

Freedom Digital, 2008.

Knapping 9,000 Years at Compo: The Bradley-Punzelt Collection (PPT slides)

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