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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12-94

December 3, 2012

CONTACT:

Adam Bosch (845) 334-7868

Department of Environmental Protection Delivers more than 400 Artifacts to Historical Society of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow

Artifacts were unearthed prior to construction of new UV Treatment Facility in Eastview

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today delivered more than 400 artifacts – some dating back more than 5,000 years – to the Historical Society of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. The artifacts were unearthed prior to the construction of the Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet Treatment Facility (UV Facility) in Eastview.

In addition to public education campaigns at the Historical Society, DEP will dedicate a plaque at the UV Facility to commemorate the discovery and create a web page with information about the artifacts.

“By working with archeologists, DEP was able to carefully excavate, preserve and catalogue an important piece of the Hudson Valley’s history,” said DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland. “We are grateful that the Historical Society of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow will take stewardship of these artifacts, and that they will be used to teach future generations about the lives of Native Americans who inhabited this part of our region.”

The more than 400 artifacts included tool making elements, cache blades and quartz projectile points dating back thousands of years to the terminal Archaic Era and early Woodland Period. DEP and its archeology consultant, Historical Perspectives, Inc., made a public presentation in October at the Warner Public Library in Tarrytown to share information about the artifacts with the community.

“The Historical Society serving the villages of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown is pleased to add this valuable collection of Native American artifacts to our educational collection,” said Sara Mascia, Curator of the Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown Historical Society. “Our organization is dedicated to advancing our knowledge and understanding of local history through educational programs and research. The DEP collection of artifacts recovered from the Eastview UV site will enhance research opportunities, and will contribute to our compilation of artifacts related to the heritage of Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and the nearby region. We thank DEP for working with us to preserve the history and character of our surrounding community.”

When DEP acquired the Eastview site for the UV Facility it hired an archaeological firm, Historical Perspectives, Inc., to conduct an analysis of the 153-acre parcel. An initial survey of the site found two stone projectile points, likely dating back between 1,200 and 2,800 years ago. These initial findings led to a more detailed inspection of a 67-acre section of the site and included 700 shovel tests, an approximately 1 foot by 1 foot hole, carefully dug 5 feet below grade. The shovel tests found 18 sites that were positive for artifacts, including a Brewereton Point dating back 4,400 to 5,000 years ago. Larger excavations were then done, which determined that there were two intact concentrations of artifacts which were then carefully excavated, mapped and the artifacts went through laboratory analysis including radiocarbon dating. The location of the findings, near Mine Brook, a source of fresh water, and the fact that the majority of them were related to tool processing suggest that the site was periodically utilized by hunting groups thousands of years ago. Artifacts that would indicate a more settled Native American living environment were not found at the site.

The UV Facility has been under construction for the last six years and has begun treating water from the Catskill and Delaware watersheds. It is the largest such plant in the world and holds the capacity to treat more than 2 billion gallons of water a day.

DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight million in New York City, and residents of Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP employs nearly 6,000 employees, including approximately 750 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and other professionals in the upstate watershed In addition to its $68 million payroll and $153 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.5 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with a planned $13.2 billion in investments over the next 10 years that creates up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nycwater.

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