Recording Impacted Cultural Resources: Groton - New London Airport

    Under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), ACS conducted a Phase II intensive archaeological survey of a prehistoric site identified at the Groton - New London Airport in Groton, Connecticut. The site dates from the Late Archaic period (ca. 5,000 to 3,000 years ago), representing a seasonally occupied coastal camp site.

    The Groton - New London Airport lies on the west bank of the Poquonnock River that drains into the Long Island Sound within one-half mile to the south. ACS conducted a Phase I reconnaissance survey at each end of the main runway as part of a safety area improvement project, resulting in the confirmation of a previously recorded prehistoric site at the southern end. Bordering on a tidal inlet, the airport occupies an ideal setting for the presence of prehistoric sites, consisting of a nearly level surface supported by a well drained soil overlying a deposit of stratified glacial meltwater deposits. The tidal flats of the lower Poquonnock would have provided for an abundance of seasonally available anadromous fish and shellfish.

    While the Late Archaic site revealed some disturbed contexts, much of the site is preserved and required a more intensive Phase II survey to establish its potential significance. The site partially extends into the wetlands that border the Poquonnock, indicating that it was likely occupied when sea levels were lower. Intensive testing at the site has revealed a moderate density of mostly quartz debitage, as well as several percussed lithic tools and projectile points of the Small-Stemmed tradition (e.g. Squibnocket, Lamoka). The lack of substantial features or broad diversity of material types at the site, however, is indicative of a limited range of functions which likely focussed on the short-term procurement and processing of estuarine resources.

    The Poquonnock inlet was so rich in marine life that the property was also used during the historic era for the production of fish oil. The Morgan family operated an oil works at a fish house used to boil menhaden in large cauldrons, with the oil used for early industrial applications such as leather tanning, paint thinning, and machinery lubrication, and the remains dried and pulverized to make fertilizer. The historic fish oil works was likely located just outside the project area and thus not addressed with respect to conservation efforts, while the Phase II survey of the prehistoric site resulted in a recommendation of no further conservation efforts based on the degree of disturbance from prior landscaping efforts and a lack of material breadth or substantive features which could shed further light on prehistoric cultural adaptations. ACS has effectively prepared expert testimony for public hearings where local citizens have initiated numerous lines of attack against environmental compliance issues regarding this project.