Archaeologists from the Public Archeology Laboratory in Rhode Island dig for artifacts believed to have been used by pre-historic Native Americans between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. They were uncovered at the intersection of Goethals Road North and Western Avenue during the excavation for the natural gas pipeline currently under construction by Spectra Energy.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - They crossed the Arthur Kill from New Jersey, early Native Americans searching for food in a marsh near where the Goethals Bridge toll plaza now stands. For three thousand years -- and maybe longer -- their stone tools and cooking utensils remained buried, exactly the way they left them behind.

All these centuries later, their primitive ways met up with modern technology when their seasonal hunting grounds were tenderly unearthed during a natural gas pipeline project and documented on YouTube.

"So now that we're finishing up the field work, we have started to develop a pretty good working hypothesis," said an archeologist from the The Public Archeology Lab -- based in Rhode Island and known as PAL -- in the four-minute video clip, as she stands amid trees that may have once provided cover.

"We know that the site was probably used most often between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago, and we're also pretty sure that this was not a residential-based camp, or a place where people were living most of the time.

"Instead, we think the site was a temporary hunting camp, where people were coming on a year-to-year basis during certain times of the year. We suspect the folks that were coming here were coming across the Arthur Kill from New Jersey...and that maybe these people were coming to Staten Island to gather resources related to the marsh."

Approximately 30,000 artifacts were discovered 6,000-feet below a plow line at the intersection of Goethals Road North and Western Avenue during required preliminary excavation work for the construction of a natural gas pipeline by Spectra Energy.

Research by PAL archeologists determined the area was called Old Place Neck Site, most likely because it is on a long stretch of land. They couldn't affiliate any current tribes with the land, though they consulted multiple federally and state recognized Native Americans during the project.

The YouTube video shows the team, both in the field and in the lab, handling the tools -- smaller than a palm and angled in rough, jagged edges -- with delicacy.

These are arrowheads points and blades believed to have been used by pre-historic Native Americans between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. They were uncovered at the intersection of Goethals Road North and Western Avenue during the excavation for the natural gas pipeline currently under construction by Spectra Energy.

They sifted, measured, catalogued and preserved each piece in plastic bags, and used radiocarbon dating, compared them to similarly-styled tools found in places with the same timeline, and reviewed historic maps and land records to estimate their age.

"Many projectile points we find are arrowheads, which have a distinct shape that can tell us how old they are," said the archeologist in the YouTube video. "The artifacts we found suggest two important activities: litho manufacturing, or stone making, and processing of food.

"This site exists on a raised land form that is now wooded, but it's overlooking a marsh, which has always been here, and would have been an important source of resources. Previously recorded archeology sites were known to be in the area, and the land itself would have been very attractive to pre-historic Native American inhabitants."

All artifacts were removed from the area before Spectra turned on any of its drills for its pipeline project. The Houston-based company overcame stiff opposition and underwent lengthy environmental reviews before winning approval in May to construct the pipeline.

Officially known as the New York-New Jersey Expansion Project, it will increase the capacity of the region's existing network by replacing five miles of pipeline from Linden, N.J., to parts of the North Shore, and will add approximately 16 miles of pipeline from the borough through Bayonne and Jersey City into Manhattan.

It will be capable of delivering 800 million cubic feet of natural gas, which burns more cleanly than fossil fuels.

The discovery did not impact the timeline of the pipeline's completion with an in-service date still planned for November, according to Spectra spokeswoman Marylee Hanley.

Spectra has presented the archeological findings to the office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and is working with the Staten Island Museum on a future curated exhibit, public education programs and classroom lessons.

"The information collected from the site will provide the community the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy the rich heritage of Staten Island for years to come," Ms. Hanely said.

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