archaeological and textual records - eCommons@Cornell - Cornell ...

ecently only the cemeteries had been excavated. However, on-going new Cornell
University domestic excavations at White Springs have shown evidence that the site
was a nucleated community. In terms of terrain, White Springs does not seem as
“defensible” as Snyder-McClure. No materials from White Springs were present at the
Rochester Museum and Science Center when Wood published; hence the most current
data comes from recent excavations undertaken by Dr. Kurt Jordan at Cornell
University. The count shows 2 VM rings, 1 octagonal, 2 Jesus-busts and 1 plain brass
band.
A variety of other devotional materials are associated with White Springs as
well. There is a single St. Ignatius medal, one St. Placidus of Rome medal, and one
brass cross, which I have tentatively labeled a “communion cross.” The cross, located
in the summer of 2010, is particularly interesting because the imagery on its respective
sides tells the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The pictograms are so
exact in their relation to Catholic catechism that it is possible this kind of object would
have either been given to someone to mark their communion and confirmation, or was
perhaps kept around as a teaching tool since the pictures provide an easy reference. A
1929 photograph by Hammond Tuttle in the collections of the Geneva Historical
Society increases the count to 6 more (indeterminable) medals, 3 rings, 1 crucifix and
1 partial rosary.
Snyder-McClure
This was a principal western village occupied from 1688-1715 (Jordan
2010:91). Wray (1973) suggests that no Jesuit material was found in the region after
the Snyder-McClure site, but this information is clearly incorrect based on the
73