NYSAA Bulletin No. 39 — Hudson Valley Shell Midden Dating — Passage 9
[Various (1967)] No. 39, March 1967 17 bin. If so, it must have existed either earlier or later than the supposed house as it directly overlays what must have been the west end of the rectangular structure. Further suggesting more than one phase of construction is the presence of an irregular line of postmolds, running in a roughly east-west direction in the southeast corner of the excavated area, and apparently extending beyond the limits of the excavation. These molds may represent a portion of a structure which existed earlier or later than the supposed house, or they may represent an extension or addition to the house which extended beyond the limit of the excavated area. If the latter is the case, however, a corresponding extension of molds should be evident on the northeast corner of the structure, and such is not the case. Thus it seems that a roughly rectangular structure with a central fire area, large roof supports, and probable bunks or benches is represented by the molds uncovered in this excavation. A possible period of rebuilding is suggested by the occurrence of an apparently unrelated bin structure of some sort, as well as a possibly related postmolds line in the southeast corner of the excavated area. It is interesting to note that the topsoil over the house floor was light brown and nearly sterile of occupational debris, while most of the surrounding topsoil was dark brown or black, containing much occupational debris.