Papers Curriculum Vitae by William Engelbrecht
The Bulletin: Journal of the New York State Archaeological Association, 2021
Obituary
Patterning in a large sample of retouched unifacial tools
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
We feel that the potential range of information to be gleaned from the study of unifacial tools h... more We feel that the potential range of information to be gleaned from the study of unifacial tools has not been realized. This case study deals with three types of retouched unifacial tools from an Iroquoian village: endscrapers with thick distal bits, flake scrapers with thin distal bits, and side scrapers. Attributes considered include length, width, thickness, edge angle, shape of working edge, and breakage. Use wear and residue analysis of selected specimens was conducted as well. We conclude that differences in the value of some attributes relate to intended function while other differences relate to different stages of use-life, especially the difference between whole and broken specimens. For example, broken endscrapers had on average lower edge angles than whole ones, broken flake scrapers had higher frequencies of convex distal bits than whole ones, and broken side scrapers had higher frequencies of sharp lateral edges than whole ones. A consideration of spatial patterning indicates that broken endscrapers were concentrated in one of three longhouses and broken side scrapers tended to be found outside longhouses. Flake scrapers and endscrapers found along the walls of structures appear to be less reduced from retouching than specimens found elsewhere.
Discusses analysis of data from 17 summer field schools at the Eaton site in western New York. Pa... more Discusses analysis of data from 17 summer field schools at the Eaton site in western New York. Palisade construction, projectile point design, and projectile point refits are discussed.
This "Profile in Ontario Archaeology" focuses on Marian White's contribution to Canadian archaeol... more This "Profile in Ontario Archaeology" focuses on Marian White's contribution to Canadian archaeology specifically and to North American archaeology in general.
One of the most striking differences between St. Lawrence Iroquoian assemblages and those of the ... more One of the most striking differences between St. Lawrence Iroquoian assemblages and those of the ancestral Haudenosaunee is the scarcity of stone arrow points in the former and their abundance in the latter. Most St. Lawrence Iroquoian populations lacked direct access to sources of quality chert and therefore used bone- or antler-tipped arrows. We argue that stone arrow points have superior killing power and gave the ancestral Haudenosaunee an advantage over enemies who used organic points.
The multicomponent Eaton site in West Seneca, New York, was the focus of a long-term archaeologic... more The multicomponent Eaton site in West Seneca, New York, was the focus of a long-term archaeological project. While the major emphasis was the excavation of a mid-16th century Iroquoian village, all artifacts are being analyzed. These include 12 gunflints and 8 musket balls deposited at some point after the abandonment of the Iroquoian village. This article describes these objects, their distribution and dating, and the implications of these artifacts for the history of the site and the region.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-178). Ph... more Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-178). Photocopy of typescript.
Journal of Lithic Studies, 2015
American Antiquity, 2014
ABSTRACT Unnotched triangular arrowpoints and point fragments are sometimes found in large number... more ABSTRACT Unnotched triangular arrowpoints and point fragments are sometimes found in large numbers on village sites in the Midwest and East. The possible reason or reasons for this are rarely considered. These points were used for both warfare and hunting. An attack on a village with a volley of arrows provides the most obvious explanation for large numbers of points and point fragments. Alternatively, using arrowpoints that detached within their target prey would have resulted in points and point fragments being brought back to a village in meat. These possibilities are considered in explaining the large number of points from an Iroquoian village site in western New York.
Excavations at the Eaton Site, a late-precontact Erie village in Erie County, NY, uncovered a lar... more Excavations at the Eaton Site, a late-precontact Erie village in Erie County, NY, uncovered a large suite of pre-Late Woodland bifaces among which were a small suite of diagnostic Late Paleoindian projectile points. Three, referable to the Hi-Lo style, expand the previously known suite of such points from Western New York and are the first from excavated contexts. Three other points are attributable to the Holcombe type, first reported from southeastern Michigan and extremely uncommon in New York State. Morphologically, the Eaton Site Holcombe points fall within the classic Holcombe form, but metrically they intergrade with the recently defined Late Paleoindian Cormier-Nicholas type of New England, suggesting both continued interaction between the Lower Great Lakes and New England, ca. 10,000-10,200 bp, and increasing regional divergence among these Late Paleoindian populations.
Northeast Anthropology, 2009
Eaton is a multicomponent site located in western New York. The major component consists of an Ir... more Eaton is a multicomponent site located in western New York. The major component consists of an Iroquoian village dating to the mid-sixteenth century. There is a high ratio of expedient lithic tools to debitage in the area of the palisade. We explore possible explanations for this distribution and discuss the implications for the construction and maintenance of a palisade.
NYSAA Newsletter
We welcome your let- ters, thoughts and com- ments. Please email them to either Bill or Sissie fo... more We welcome your let- ters, thoughts and com- ments. Please email them to either Bill or Sissie for inclusion in the winter newsletter. Thanks.
American Antiquity, 1987
... Lafitau (1977:1:355) notes that Iroquois women were not as fertile as women else-where, a cla... more ... Lafitau (1977:1:355) notes that Iroquois women were not as fertile as women else-where, a claim repeated in the early nineteenth century by Heckewelder for the Delaware who adds "Indians seldom have more than four or five children" (1881:221). ... According to Lafitau: ...
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2012
Ethnicity is one kind of social relationship that archaeologists explore. The evolution of the no... more Ethnicity is one kind of social relationship that archaeologists explore. The evolution of the northern Iroquoian ethnic landscape in New York, southern Ontario, and the St. Lawrence Valley has been of long-standing interest to archaeologists. Since MacNeish’s (1952) pottery typology study, the predominant model for this evolution has been cladistic. Collar decoration served as a means of signaling attributes of the potter and pottery users that mirrored other more visible signals. We use social network analysis to determine whether pottery collar decoration data best fit MacNiesh’s cladistic or an alternative rhizotic model. The results better fit the rhizotic model.
The Iroquois: Archaeological patterning on the tribal level
World Archaeology, 1974
This study attempts to infer aspects of early seventeenth‐century Iroquois political organization... more This study attempts to infer aspects of early seventeenth‐century Iroquois political organization from archaeological information, especially the existence of the League of the Iroquois. Ceramic patterning within and between Iroquois village sites was considered. The existence of the League of the Iroquois was not reflected ceramically. The relevance of the results to questions concerning warfare, trade and the emergence of a new tribe were then considered.
Book Chapters by William Engelbrecht
Pottery is one of the most abundant artifact categories recovered from Northern Iroquoian archaeo... more Pottery is one of the most abundant artifact categories recovered from Northern Iroquoian archaeological village sites dating prior to the widespread adoption of European technologies. As a result, it receives a great deal of attention from archaeologists. Of particular note on sites dating after ca. AD 1300 is the presence of pots with collars and collarless pots with wedges (broad, flat lips). These platforms were used by Iroquoian potters for the creation of often very intricate designs generally composed of straight incised or stamped lines. While we do not know the meanings of these designs, we can deduce that they were signals, a means of conveying to others information about the potters and pottery users (Hart and Engelbrecht 2012).
Papers by William Engelbrecht
Understanding Chipped Stone Drills from an Iroquoian Village Site
Lithic Technology
Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations ... more Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations at the Eaton site in western New York. The major occupation was an Iroquoian village dating to the mid-sixteenth century. The number of drills far exceeds the number of drilled objects from the same site. Use wear on nineteen specimens indicates their use on soft to medium resistance materials which were not preserved at the site. Consideration of chipped stone drills with long drill bits suggests that they were not used on hard materials as they would have a tendency to break. Iroquois sites to the east that are slightly later in time than the Iroquoian component at Eaton have hundreds of drilled shell beads but few chipped stone drills. We conclude that European metal drills/awls replaced chipped stone drills early in the Contact Period.
Northern Iroquoian Ethnic Evolution: A Social Network Analysis
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Jun 21, 2011
Abstract Ethnicity is one kind of social relationship that archaeologists explore. The evolution ... more Abstract Ethnicity is one kind of social relationship that archaeologists explore. The evolution of the northern Iroquoian ethnic landscape in New York, southern Ontario, and the St. Lawrence Valley has been of long-standing interest to archaeologists. Since MacNeish's (1952) pottery typology study, the predominant model for this evolution has been cladistic. Collar decoration served as a means of signaling attributes of the potter and pottery users that mirrored other more visible signals. We use social network analysis to determine ...
Bone versus Stone Arrows and the Movement of the St. Lawence Iroquoians
The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2016
Understanding Chipped Stone Drills from an Iroquoian Village Site
Lithic Technology
Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations ... more Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations at the Eaton site in western New York. The major occupation was an Iroquoian village dating to the mid-sixteenth century. The number of drills far exceeds the number of drilled objects from the same site. Use wear on nineteen specimens indicates their use on soft to medium resistance materials which were not preserved at the site. Consideration of chipped stone drills with long drill bits suggests that they were not used on hard materials as they would have a tendency to break. Iroquois sites to the east that are slightly later in time than the Iroquoian component at Eaton have hundreds of drilled shell beads but few chipped stone drills. We conclude that European metal drills/awls replaced chipped stone drills early in the Contact Period.
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Papers Curriculum Vitae by William Engelbrecht
Book Chapters by William Engelbrecht
Papers by William Engelbrecht