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Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 15, No. 4 Massachusetts Archaeological Society Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Journals and Campus Publications Society 7-1954 Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 15, No. 4 Massachusetts Archaeological Society Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/bmas Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Copyright © 1954 Massachusetts Archaeological Society This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. , . BULLETIN OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCI-IAE0tOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. xv NO.4 JULY, 1954 Contents CULTURAL TRAITS OF THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INDIANS L. F. HALLETr RHODE ISLAND PREHISTORY AT THE GREEN POINT SITE WILLIAM S. FOWLER ABORIGINAL NEW ENGLAND POTTERY (Second Installment) WILLIAM J. HOWES PUBLISHED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. MAURICE ROBBINS, Editor, 23 Steere Street, Attleboro, Mass. Wn..LIAM S. FOWLER, Secretary, Bronson Museum, 8 No. Main Street, Attleboro THE (l~MENT C. ktmVE\.t liBRARy', S1 ATE COLLEGE JlRIDGEWAT£Ra ~sSACHUSfl1$ This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling,loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2010 Massachusetts Archaeological Society. CULTURAL TRAITS OF THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INDIANS 59 A Summary of Material Derived From Historical Sources By L. F. HALLETI' Early observers of the economy of the Indian the right to the offended parties of taking satisfac­ tribes of Southern New England included a number tion themselves, which was not to exceed their own of adventurers who visited, explored, described and loss. In cases of murder, the family of the victim even tried to colonize the coastal areas preceeding assumed the right to pursue and take the offender. the successful settlements at Plymouth, Salem and Then, with the sachem's consent, they tortured him Boston. The narratives of these early visitors were to death. our nrst insight into the manners and customs of our predecessors; and, when combined with the The lesser chiefs were appointed, and acted observations of the settlers who followed in their under the command and protection of the Sachem. fOGtsteps, give us a fairly clear picture of early 17th The sachemship was entirely hereditary, descending Century Indian economy in this region. regularly from father to son, and if male heirs were wanting, devolving to the females. So strict was This knowledge is, of course, being constantly their reverence to birth that it was demanded that verified and supplemented by the intelligent inter­ the mother should always be of noble blood. pretation of evidence from the ground itself, and this latter method is almost the sole reliable source The Southern New England tribes spoke a for any degree of antiquity. language understood by all, but with certain dia­ lectic variations. The number of primary or radical While the Northern New England tribes were words in the language was comparatively few. The relatively small and nomadic in a hunting-trapping­ words were made up of harsh consonant sounds nshing livelihood covering a wide territory, their little relieved by the softer vowel sounds "I" and southern neighbors in Massachusetts, Rhode Island "1'." Besides the gutteral and nasal sounds, they and Connecticut occupied more fertile and popu­ had a peculiar whistling sound which cannot be lous regions, and were by nature sedentary. They represented by any letters in the English alphabet, were village dwellers, they jealously guarded well hence in words in which it occurred, no two persons established tribal boundaries, and they had greater would probably spell them in the same mUlI"t'r. tribal unity under hereditary leadership. The Indian place names were not single words. The tribal sachem was absolute master of his They selected some prominent feature in the people, and his will was the law of the tribe. In locality as the principal element in a descriptive all matters of importance, however, he customarily phrase, and this became the name of that place. conferred with counsellors, who were termed the If a sharp rock, the name would be "At the Place paniese. These were selected from the wisest and of the Sharp-Pointed Rock." In forming the phrase bravest of the tribe, and were not only a council name the Indians did not use the whole of each of state, but the immediate guard of his person. constituent part but only what is called the "root." The sachem held disposition of the tribal lands, Often only a small fragment of the word is used, and was supported economically by his people. He and the whole word must be inferred. The analysis also held sovereignty over the sea bordering his of these place names calls for a high degree of domain, and wrecks and whales taken on the shore linguistic skill. The name of an animal was never were his property, as well as the skins of any deer used to denote a localized place or river. The killed while in the water. In executing punishment orthography of the Indian language is wholly the the sachem could beat, whip or put to death with work of the English, and the variety in spelling of his own hand. the early settlers has only added to the general confusion. Various forms of punishment were meted out to nt various crimes. Customarily a thief was repri­ In the communal life each sex had well-defined manded after his first offense, was beaten after the responsibilities. The man's duty was to protect his second, and had his nostrils slit after the third. immediate family and relatives, to provide the pro­ If stealing occurred which involved two tribes, the ducts of hunting and nshing, to make weapons and offended tribe sent for payment. If recompense was wooden utensils, to build fortincations and provide not made, the sachem of the offended tribe granted poles and bark for the lodge, to make canoes and 60 BULLETIN OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY dugouts, and to clear land for cultivation. To Prolonged exposure to the elements darkened the woman was assigned the household labor, care of skin, the children being born much lighter in color the children, the tanning of skins and the weaving than the adults later acquired. The ailments of the of mats and baskets, the making of bark utensils, Indian were chiefly those which arose from exercise, the covering of lodges and the making of clothing, hardships and fatigues. Maladies arising from lux­ and the gathering of roots and berries, seeds and ury, sloth, intemperance and want of exercise were fruits. The sowing and cultivating of crops was unnamed and unknown. almost exclusively woman's work. She sometimes received assistance in these various duties from her Village sites were chosen with care. Good agri­ children and from old men, but on an entirely cultural lands and good hunting and fishing grounds voluntary basis. were essential, as well as a nearby supply of fresh water. Along the water courses the larger settle­ In discussing family traits it is well to bear in ments appear to have been located at the junction mind that many customs of the colonists seemed of two streams. The village people rotated from repugnant to the Indians, just as many practices place to place according to the season; from thick, of the latter seemed barbarous to the early settlers. warm valleys in winter to planting fields and the Most of the accounts agree in regard to certain seashore in summer. An abundance of fleas or rea­ features of Indian marriage customs. Permission of sons of hygiene often forced removal to a new loca­ the parents was needed, and also the permission tion during any season. The plague preceding the of the tribal sachem. Wampum was exchanged to Plymouth settlement forced the abandonment of bind the agreement, and a feast or festival served entire villages. as a marriage ceremony. Dissolving of the mar­ Their houses or wigwams were built with small riage occurred occasionally, generally on grounds poles fixed in the ground, and bent and fastened of displeasure, disaffection or adultery. Several together in an arch at the top. Some were nearly observers noted polygamy, but stated that one of circular and others rectangular in shape. The best several wives was always greatest in esteem and sort were neatly covered with overlapping bark of affection. large trees, slipped in the spring and dried in the Childbirth was easy and rarely incapacitated desired form. Others were covered with woven the mother for more than three or four days. The mats. These houses rarely exceeded 20 feet in width, newly born were bathed and greased, wrapped in a but some communal dwellings were over 60 feet small beaver skin, and strapped to a cradle board. in length. Chimneys were a wide open hole at the After about three months they were removed from top with a covering mat for inclement weather. the board, and went about naked until the age Single or multiple doorways, about a yard in of five or six. Parents had great affection for their height, had a covering mat or skin. No particular ~rrangement children, whom they rarely punished. This often order of of the wigwams was followed, led to boldness, sauciness and misbehaviour. With the head of each family choosing his own spot. The the approach of teen age the youth were rigorously smaller family units had a single fireplace in the trained to hardship and the various arts and crafts center, and beds raised a foot from the ground were of the adults. The subsistence and safety of the around the walls.
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