Minisink Archeological Site, also known as Minisink Historic District, is an

archeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

of 1320 acres located in both

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton. ...

and

Pike County, Pennsylvania Pike County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,535. Its county seat is Milford. Pike County is included in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, ...

.John R. Wright, "Archeology in the Minisink Today"
''Spanning the Gap'', Vol. 25 No. 2, Summer 2003, National Park Service It was part of a region occupied by

Munsee The Munsee (or Minsi or Muncee) or mə́n'si·w ( del, Monsiyok)Online Lenape Talking Dictionary, "Munsee Indians"Link/ref> are a subtribe of the Lenape, originally constituting one of the three great divisions of that nation and dwelling along t ...

-speaking

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

that extended from southern New York across northern New Jersey to northeastern Pennsylvania. The Munsee were speakers of one of the three major language dialects of the Lenape Native American tribe. This interstate territory became the most important Munsee community for the majority of the 17th and 18th centuries.

History

The area has supported human habitation for 10,000 years. The site's archeology has been studied for more than 100 years, since the discovery in 1900 of Native American burials, and Indian and European artifacts. Since the late twentieth century, researchers have concentrated on trying to understand Native American cultures rather than simply retrieve artifacts and antiquities. "Today, Minisink remains one of the most extensive, best preserved, and most intensively studied archeological locales in the Northeast." The site was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1993. Excavations at the site have helped reveal historic interactions between European and Lenape people in Munsee country. Hundreds of early stone tools recovered at the site, along with remains of fish and fruit, indicated a more diverse diet than previously expected by researchers."Historical Marker Dedicated in Smithfield Township: Minisink Hills"
Monroe County Historical Association. July 2010, Web. March 2011 Two

100-year flood A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...

s, one in September 2004 and one in April 2005, caused severe erosion to one of the contributing archeological sites, 36Pi04 (Manna Site) located at the confluence of the Raymondskill Creek and Delaware River. Approximately 20% of the site was compromised during the floods. The National Park Service is collaborating with the

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

Department of Anthropology to stabilize the banks as well as conduct archeological research and field schools at the site.

References

External links

Minisink Valley Historical Society
{{Authority control Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey Geography of Pike County, Pennsylvania Archaeological sites in New Jersey Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Native American history of New Jersey Native American history of Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Sussex County, New Jersey 1900 archaeological discoveries Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

History

See also

References

External links