Landmark Archaeology, Inc. conducted a series of archaeological investigations in 2013 and 2014 in New York and Pennsylvania for the 124-mile Constitution pipeline project. These investigations, ranging from 0.72 to 58.5 acres, were located in a variety of environmental and landform settings being considered for wetland mitigation. Much of the work was within the Schoharie Creek and Susquehanna River Drainages following areas along the I-88 corridor for a total of 12 parcels in New York and two parcels in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The archaeological investigations identified two prehistoric sites and re-examined six previously recorded archaeological sites. The prehistoric sites ranged from small surface flake scatters to large multi-acre, semi-permanent habitations that yielded evidence of buried features and possible houses. One of the proposed wetland mitigation areas included a 45-acre parcel within the floodplain of Cobleskill Creek. The shallowly buried Early Archaic Haviland Site is located within the project area. Excavations at this site in the 1990s yielded bifurcate points that are morphologically similar to Kanawha points, dating circa 8,000 BP. In addition to the Haviland Site, Phase I and II archaeological investigations conducted in the 45-acre project area identified a series of prehistoric loci on the floodplain, and are grouped together as a single prehistoric site. Temporally diagnostic artifacts recovered during investigations included projectile points from the Late Archaic and Middle Woodland/Late Woodland cultural periods: a Brewerton Side-notched projectile point (2980-1723 BC), Snook Kill points (1800-1400 BC), a Genesee-like point (3000-1500 BC), and a Jack’s Reef Corner-notched point (AD 500-1000). Shovel and auger testing and the excavation of 1 x 1 meter test units documented that the floodplain contained stratified Holocene alluvium covering a chert-rich fluvial gravel bar. The undulating gravel bar is exposed on the plowed surface in some locations and buried in other areas. As a result, early occupations such as the Haviland Site can be at or near the surface while later occupations can be buried in alluvium beneath the reach of the plow.

The setting was favored throughout much of New York’s prehistory as a location to acquire and manufacture tool preforms from high-quality Esopus chert. Across the floodplain, variation in the Holocene alluvium was found to range from near surface to over one 1 meter in thickness. Large numbers of chert debitage, hammerstones, tested and exhausted cores, and broken bifaces indicate that tool manufacturing was conducted at this location for thousands of years.