A PROPOSED SITE
MUSEUM: ONONDAGA
1684-1696
BY
PROFESSER ETHEL HOFFMAN FINE
B. A. Syracuse University, 1957
ABSTRACT OF THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of
Arts in Anthropology in the Graduate
School of Syracuse University,
January, 1962
ABSTRACT
This thesis is concerned with the problem of proposing an
Onondaga County site museum devoted to the Iroquois Period. In
Central New York the Seventeenth Century is considered as being
the Iroquois Period because of an important role played by the
Iroquois Confederacy. During that century the Iroquois were known
to distant Indian groups, as well as to many nations of Europe,
because of the Iroquois wars and the accounts of traders,
missionaries, and soldiers. The Iroquois not only represent the
culmination of approximately five thousand years of Indian
occupation in Central New York, but the constitution of the League
of the Five Nations represents the epitome of Woodland
Democracy.
Onondaga 1684-1696
One aspect of this thesis is to suggest that the last major Iroquois
capital city site, Onondaga 1684-1696, could easily be developed
into a well co-coordinated site museum program in Onondaga
County. This capital site was selected in preference to other existing
Iroquois sites because of at least three contributing factors. First, it
is close to Syracuse University, where scholars and students could
develop it as a research center. Second, because of its proximity
with the Onondaga Indian Reservation, it could serve as an
ethnological field station, as well as become the first step in the
development of an Iroquois Studies Center. Third, because of the
proximity of land owned by Onondaga County, a site museum at
Onondaga 1684-1696 could have the financial backing, tourist
attraction, and community support, which have been exhibited at
other county museums.
FURTHER ARCHAELOLGICAL EXCAVATIONS
In addition to presenting the preliminary finding of the 1957
excavation at Onondaga 1684-1696, the thesis suggests that
further archaeological excavations be undertaken at this site.
Another aspect of the thesis is to point out that the first phase of a
well co-coordinated site museum program devoted to the
Seventeenth Century has been undertaken and completed. This
was uniquely accomplished in 1933, when Onondaga County built
the replica of Fort Sainte Marie de Gannentaha 1656-1658 at
Liverpool, New York. It represents the non-Indian intrusion of
Onondaga Territory. In 1656, when the Iroquois can be said to have
been at their zenith, and when the population of the Onondaga
Nation has been estimated as being at its greatest, a French fort
seems to have been built within the territory of the Onondagas.
Points of Details
The thesis points out the details of fort-museum construction which are to
be commended. It also attempts to criticize the site museum’s lack of
research and basic museum techniques. The thesis also suggest where
and how the fort-museum could comply with the site museum. This thesis
attempts to present the archaeological situation of the Pre-Iroquois and
Iroquois Periods in Central New York. The approach, however, is to begin
with a review of newly termed concept of the site museum. After presenting
some of the available literature of site museums, development is traced on
an international, national, and local level. When site museums in New York
State are reviewed, attention is drawn to the Historic Site Program. It was
hoped that members of this program would become aware of how well an
Onondaga site museum would further efforts to restore and rehabilitate
places of historic interest in New York State. While pointing out the Historic
Marker Program in New York State, the thesis shows the great inadequacy
in presenting the Iroquois Period in Onondaga County.
Possible Site Museum
The thesis states that when Onondaga 1684-1696 is thought
of as a possible site museum, it should be considered
synonymous with a proposed research center. The site
museum should serve as a field school in archaeology, as
well as ethnology. Possibly this is the missing link between
the “amateur” and the professional archaeologist.
Regardless, the site museum at Onondaga 1684-1696
should serve as the clearing house of Iroquois Studies.