I'm sending this material, which comes from my dissertation, because it
may be worth pushing for archaeological reconnaissance of the site. Such
a study might reveal enough prehistoric archaeological material to save
the site on those grounds, or at the minimum it could thoroughly document
the site's archaeology before it gets wiped out by development. Maybe
Rich Veit and Monmouth students could offer to do the recce this summer,
or I think there's a new archaeology group at Brookdale (used to be
Pagoulatos, who's gone).

Cheers,
Paul
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Box 4.3
Conaskonk Point: 6-7 acres wide and 5 feet high
In 1865, archaeologist Charles Rau described an "extensive shell bed" on
the 90-acre farm of George Poole (at today's Poole Ave. and Stone Rd.).
This was 1.5 miles northeast of Keyport, and south of a small coastal
projection called Conaskonck Point. Traces of the Lenapes' former
presence "for many generations" were seen in the shape of cast-away
shells, arrow points, and broken pottery, almost in every field belonging
to the farm. Their principal "camping-ground" (Rau's term), was in the
dark dotted space on Rau's map (Figure 4.3). However, the variety of
activities at this site suggest that settlement was more lasting than a
temporary camp. Rau's description:
"Seen from a distance, this place has almost the appearance of a
snow-covered field, owing to the great number of bleached shells
constituting this deposit, which spreads over six or seven acres and
forms several extensive heaps or mounds of an average height of about
five feet... Intermingled with innumerable pebbles...are the remains of
oysters, hard-shell clams, and periwinkles....About twelve years ago
several hundred loads of shells were taken away from a certain spot for
making a road. The excavation thus produced reached about eight feet
down-ward."
"This shell-bed is about half a mile distant from the shore at low tide,
and the intervening area consists chiefly of so-called salt-meadow. In
transporting shell-fish to the camping place, it is probable that the
aborigines availed themselves of a small nameless creek running towards
the sea, west of the shell-bed, and not very distant from it. This creek,
though rather narrow, is sufficiently deep for canoe navigation during
high water, and joins the more considerable Conaskonck creek, which flows
into the beach. There was, consequently, a water connexion between the
sea and the camp. [In] the space enclosed by a dotted line on the
accompanying plan...the shells are by far less numerous, and form no
longer heaps, but lie thinly scattered over the ground."
"By searching among these shell-heaps and in the adjacent fields, I
obtained more than three hundred specimens of Indian manufacture,
consisting of stone axes, arrow and spear-points of different shapes,
flint knives, and many pieces of broken crockery....That the manufacture
of arrow-heads was carried on in this place is evident from the great
number of flint chips which lie scattered among the shells, and moreover,
I picked up several unfinished arrows, which were thrown aside as useless
in consequence of a flaw or wrong crack, or some other irregularity in
the material.... Fragments of pottery which I collected here consist of a
dark clay, either mixed with coarse sand, or pure, and for the most part
rather slightly burnt; some of the sherds still bear the ornamental lines
and notches cut in the surface of the vessels....A few clay beads were
picked up on the spot...."

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