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Archiver > QUEBEC-RESEARCH > 2004-10 > 1096816295
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Subject: Re: Interesting News
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2004 11:11:35 EDT
In a message dated 10/3/2004 10:58:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, WFlem72706
writes:
INDIAN SITE YIELDS BONES, BOTTLES, COPPER CUPBy Katie Haughey - The Sun
Staff
(http://www.thewesterlysun.com/content/current/front/mystic.gif)
Mystic River Press
MYSTIC - When Richard Love was digging a hole for the foundation of a house
last week, he and his crew came across what looked like a few bones and some
bottles. Shrugging it off, they continued digging.
"We continued until we started to see what looked like a human jawbone with
teeth and then we just stopped," said Love, of Love Builders in Waterford.
Love said they also uncovered a copper cup while they were digging.
What Love had uncovered are apparently 17th century Pequot Indian remains.
Members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation have been on the site since
last Friday, working to recover what are evidently the remains of their
ancestors.
State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni, who was called to the site to
investigate, said Pequots had a reservation off Noank in the mid-17th century.
"That's why we suspect it's them," Bellantoni said of the remains. "We do
not know yet the number of (people) buried there." He added that the excavation
of the site has been turned over to the Mashantuckets.
Members of the tribe and their archaeologist, Kevin McBride, have been
reluctant to provide too many details about the discovery. Laughing Woman, the
tribe's spiritual leader, said Monday the tribe was working against the clock --
and the weather -- to excavate the site.
"We're just asking people to give us the space and respect that we need to
deal with this," Laughing Woman said as she prepared to return to working at
the site.
Last week, Laughing Woman characterized the discovery at the site as "very
big."
Love said he has never encountered anything like the discovery in Mystic
during his years as a builder. Rufus Allyn, whose family has been developing
properties in the area since 1912, said no one has ever discovered Indian
remains during the course of construction.
"We didn't know it was there -- it was certainly a surprise to us," Allyn
said.
Allyn's company sold the land where the remains were discovered to Mike and
Christine Wall in March for $250,000. The Walls, who live in Stonington, were
granted approval to construct a single-family home there in June.
Mike Wall said Wednesday the discovery was very emotional and "deeply
meaningful to the Pequots." He declined to comment further, asking that all
inquires be directed to the tribe. Calls for comment this week to McBride were not
returned.
Fearing vandalism, the Mashantuckets have repeatedly emphasized their desire
to keep the specific location of the discovery secret until they have
completed working at the site.
"There are (tribal members) here that are doing their best to recover the
remains of their people," Laughing Woman said last week.
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