Staff of the Delaware Tribe Historic Preservation Office have recently returned from a grant-funded trip to several museums on the East Coast to document holdings for an upcoming repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). DTHPO Director Brice Obermeyer and tribal archaeologist Greg Brown visited the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, New Jersey and the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA, as well as working on other historic preservation activities at Morristown National Historical Park in Morristown, New Jersey and Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville, PA.
-
Photo 1
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo1.jpg
One of the most important sites to the original Lenape people lies along the Delaware River near modern-day Trenton. The Lenape lived along stream-side terraces, exploiting the abundant resources in the marshes and estuaries.
-
Photo 2
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo2.jpg
We visited the wonderful exhibit of Delaware artifacts at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, New Jersey's Original People: Interpreting the Archaeological Collection
-
Photo 3
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo3.jpg
The exhibit displays artifacts uncovered from excavations in and around the original Lenape homeland, some of which we hope to eventually be able to display on long-term loan in our own Tribal Museum.
-
Photo 4
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo4.jpg
Much of our research concerns the important archaeological site called Abbott Farm, in and around Trenton’s Roebling Park. This area was occupied for thousands of years, again and again, by bands of Lenape fishers, gatherers, and hunters.
-
Photo 5
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo5.jpg
Wooded marshes along the river provided not only beautiful landscapes, but also a variety of opportunities for exploiting both freshwater and saltwater fish, shellfish, and marshside plants.
-
Photo 6
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo6.jpg
Archaeologist Michael Stewart describes the Abbott Farm site to DTHPO Director Brice Obermeyer and Darren Hill of Delaware Nation. Delaware Nation HPO Tamara Francis-Fourkiller is on the far left, archaeologist and New Jersey State Museum curator Greg Lattanzi is on the right.
-
Photo 7
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo7.jpg
Landscapes at the Abbott Farm site are many and varied, with not only marsh environments but also stream terraces and upland bluffs.
-
Photo 8
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo8.jpg
Located nearby is Pennsbury Manor, the restored colonial property owned by William Penn. Pennsbury Manor is owned and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
-
Photo 9
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo9.jpg
Interpretive signs show visitors around the 43 acres of restored buildings and landscapes.
-
Photo 10
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo10.jpg
Site administrator Douglas Miller shows Brice Obermeyer and Tamara Francis-Fourkiller around the property.
-
Photo 11
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo11.jpg
The Delaware Tribe (and Delaware Nation) are helping Pennsbury Manor to help them better interpret the role of Penn’s Lenape neighbors.
-
Photo 12
https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Photo12.jpg
The beautiful rustic landscapes display a variety of colonial activities, including the elaborate gardens that grow both European-introduced plants as well as the local botanical resources that Penn and other Europeans learned about from Native Americans.
Previous Image
Next Image
D5 Creation