APPENDIX D Cultural Resources Survey Report - US Environmental ...

Riverine sites within southern New Jersey include large villages or macro-base camps, small hunting
and fishing camps and processing stations (Kraft and Mounier 1982:73). Generally, it is considered
that a three or four-tier settlement system emerged during the Archaic period in New Jersey’s Inner
Coastal Plain. This consisted of semi-permanent macro-band base camps or macrosocial units, semi-
sedentary micro-band base camps or microsocial units, base-camp/staging areas and more short-
term or limited use sites designated as procurement sites, transient camps, stations, or specialized
camps. Bands, likely extended family groups, moved between these different levels of sites on a
seasonal basis, dividing up to utilize resources in many different environments- both up and down
stream of major drainages, and coming together in larger groups to conduct trade and marriages
(Custer 1984:67, 1989:131, 278; Fitting 1979; Grossman-Bailey 2001; Kraft and Mounier 1982;
Mounier and Martin 1992; Wall et al. 1996).
Larger sites within the Delaware drainage like the Savich Farm (28BU56) in the Rancocas Creek,
Indian Head on the Maurice River, and possibly the Woodbury Annex or Riggins sites had multiple
functions and were places where large groups came together seasonally for trade and social
interaction. Regional models for settlement systems suggest that seasonal fission/fusion of social
groups occurred as people occupied different types of sites throughout the year. Large base camps
where smaller extended family groups come together are often found in rich environments in midto
upper tributary stream confluences and smaller procurement camps or specialized work camps
are found in many settings on shorelines, headwaters and marshes (e.g., Custer 1996; Grossman-
Bailey 2001; Mounier 1978; Stewart et al. 1986; Wall et al.1996).
Numerous sites are known to have existed along the Pennsauken Creek, and were recorded by the
Indian Site Survey (ISS) in the 1930's. Dorothy Cross (1941: 240-243) discussed 21 sites on the
North and South Branches of the Pennsauken Creek to the north of the APE and 16 sites along the
Cooper Creek [River] to the south of the APE. Information about sites came from collections and
excavations such as those at the Gruno and Hurff sites. The Hurff site was a small processing camp
along the North Branch of the Pennsauken Creek, which dated to at least the Woodland period
judging by the presence of ceramics. Skinner and Schrabisch (1913:60-61) note sites nearby,
including one at “Pennsauken Station.” Historical accounts (e.g., Prowell 1886) mention that an
Indian village, Eriwomac, once existed at the mouth of the Pennsauken Creek. One Native
American site has been identified within the vicinity of the APE along the bank of the Pennsauken
Creek. Similar sites are likely to have existed on the high ground locations along the creek,
particularly close to its confluence with the Delaware River. No prehistoric archaeological sites have
been identified along the Puchack Creek near its confluence with the Delaware River.
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