Map of the Territorial Divisions of the Aborigines of New York [and] Map of the Early and Recent Sites of the Aborigines of New York

A late 19th century attempt to capture the Native American presence in Colonial New York.

This fascinating analysis of the Native American presence in colonial-era New York was compiled by William Beauchamp and published by the New York State Museum in 1900. One side of the sheet offers a political snapshot of the various tribes that occupied the territory around 1600, atop a contemporary road map of the state. The Five Nations are prominently featured – Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, as well as Neutrals and the Mohicans (Mahikans). The verso is a detailed census of the discovered archaeological sites. Scores of locations are carefully pinpointed and numbered across the page, ranging from ancient ‘pre-Iroquoian’ earthworks to ‘recent’ post-contact villages and burial sites.