[NYSAA (1986)] to recover a more representative sample of smaller floral and faunal material. However, the presently emerging pattern for the Middle to Late Woodland deposits is one of multi-seasonal occupation. To reiterate these arguments, then, Winney's Rift is part of a long sequence of occupation clearly documented for the Fish Creek drainage, beginning probably in the Early Archaic. Moreover, coincident with similar processes in other areas of the Northeast, resident populations in the Fish Creek drainage appear to have seasonally extended and concentrated their activities at Winney's Rift in a village-like habitation throughout the Middle and Late Woodland periods. For reasons which we will now explore further, we believe that the resident population along Fish Creek was Algonkian-speaking and not a seasonally intrusive Mohawk Iroquois group. IDENTIFICATION OF WINNEY'S RIFT AS AN ALGONKIAN SITE Ethnohistoric sources demonstrate that the occupants of the upper Hudson Va lley at the time of Hudson's explorations in 1609 were Algonkian-speakers, often referred to as "Mahican" and that replacement by the Mohawks did not occur until the 1620s or 30s. According to Brasser (1974:2; 1978), the homeland of the Mahican at the beginning of Laurentian-type, stemmed-Central N.Y.-Onondaga flint. (Fig. i) (C. Wray, per. comm.) 1 Meadowood-Onondaga flint. (Fig. 2g) 5 weakly, corner-notched, small points-western N.Y. Onondaga flint. (Fig. 2a-e) 1 Lamoka-Onondaga flint. (Fig. 3a) 1 straight stemmed Archaic type western N.Y. Onondaga flint. (not shown) 1 small, slightly serrated Neville-type-Onondaga flint. (Fig. 3f) (T. Weinman, per. comm.) 12 fully complete projectile points. Incomplete (identified) 2 Meadowood-Onondaga flint. (Fig. 3 c, d) 1 Incomplete (unidentifiable) 6 small point tips 3 bases of points (Fig. 4 f, h, i) 1 point similar to Point Peninsula (multiple-notched)-Onondaga flint. (C. Wray, per., comm.) 4 Archaic type, straight stemmed-western N.Y. flint. 1 Laurentian type, stemmed-Onondaga flint. (C. Wray, per., comm.) 15 incomplete and unidentifiable projectile points. Spears: 8 separate parts of spears were recovered, no complete specimens-5 western N.Y. flint and 3 central N.Y. flint. (Fig. 4 a-d). 30 Washington, D.C. Wray, Charles F. and Harry L. Schoff 1953 A Preliminary Report on the Seneca Sequence in Western New York 1550-1687. The Pennsylvania Archaeologist 23(2):53-63. 32 THE BULLETIN THE OSSINING ROCKSHELTER Stuart J. Fiedel Louis A. Brennan Lower Hudson Chapter The Ossining Rockshelter is situated about 3 kilometers (2 miles) east of the Hudson River, in the village of Briarcliff Manor, in the town of Ossining, Westchester County. The shelter is formed by a 7.1 meter high, nearly vertical outcropping of Fordham gneiss. This cliff faces west. A large slab, approximately 5.5 meters in diameter, lies in front of the cliff, separated from it by about 1 meter. This slab slopes upward from west to east, and is supported by smaller stones on its northern, western, and southern edges. It thus forms a roofed chamber, 2 meters high at its entrance, on the eastern side. A small, shallow pond, which is often dry, lies 12.5 meters to the northwest of the shelter. The Pocantico "River", which is really only a small stream at this point, flows southward at a distance of about 30 meters east of the site. The rockshelter was brought to my attention in 1982 by a resident of the suburban neighborhood that surrounds it. Inspection of the slope lying in front of the cliff revealed bits of bone and small flakes of quartz and chert, which suggested that excavation of the site would be productive. When I began excavation, with a class of archaeology students from SUNY Purchase, 1 was not aware of any previous investigation of the site. However, in 1983, I came across a reference, in a general history of Westchester County, to excavations conducted by Leslie V. Case at the "Ossining Rockshelter". I then found Case's own report of his finds in a very brief and inadequately illustrated article in the Quarterly Bulletin of the Westchester Historical Society (1929). Case's description of the location of the shelter that he excavated, relative to the township boundaries, topographic features, and nearby roads, permits its identification as the site I have described. However, I have not been able to establish the exact correspondence of features shown in Case's small and blurry photograph of the site to actual features of the rockshelter as it exists today. It is possible that changes in the site's appearance might have been caused by blasting. Even 55 years ago, Case warned that the rockshelter was endangered by suburban development, and noted the presence of blasting holes in the rocks. We observed two such holes drilled into the top of the roof slab; it was also evident that the face of the southern half of the cliff had been sheared off by fairly recent blasting. Nevertheless, despite these recent alterations of the site's appearance, there is no reason to doubt that the roofed chamber