8/28/2023 0 Comments Anthony farms peters townshipIn 1633, Dutch and Swedish investors, under the leadership of Peter Minuit, formed the New South Company the Dutch had already been involved in colonization along the Hudson River. Historical Society of PennsylvaniaDuring the first decades of the seventeenth century, the harsh winds of change swept across the Lenape’s land bringing European explorers and settlers in search of commercial opportunities. The women would clean and prepare the fish, which were either eaten raw or dried and saved for later. When the weather was favorable, men would use spears, harpoons, nets, and dams to catch fish. Once a bird was captured, it would either be prepared for direct consumption or dried. Birds such as herons, pigeons, eagles, hawks, and turkeys were hunted. 11 Tools were made from the bones of animals, wood, stone, as well as various types of grasses. Men were responsible for the heavy work around the village, making tools, weapons, mortars, frames for the wigwams, dugouts, and fishing spears. In late fall, the men left their homes to hunt white-tailed deer, wild fowl, muskrat, rabbits, and foxes. Women taught daughters how to gather edible plants and tend to the children. Once couples had children, fathers with the help of other male elders bore responsibility for teaching male children to hunt for wild game. A man wishing to divorce his wife left the home. A woman wishing to divorce her husband placed all of his personal possessions outside of the wigwam. For some marriage lasted a lifetime, but for others this union ended in divorce. 9 Girls commonly married at the ages of thirteen and fourteen while young men married at ages of seventeen and eighteen. 8ĭue to their short life expectancy, men and women married young. 7 Both women and girls adorned their bodies with tribal jewelry made from shells, stones, beads, and animal teeth and claws. Likewise, women wore wrap-around-skirts during the summer and fur robes with leggings during the winter. For clothing, men wore breechcloths during the summer and fur robes during the winter. 5 Both men and women used bear grease to dress their hair, and decorated their bodies, face, and arms with designs painted in various colors. Skeletal remains indicate that the average male height ranged from 5’1" to 5’7." They had oval facial structures with high cheekbones, tan skin, and broad shoulders. Public DomainThe Lenape had distinctly different physical features and appearances than that of the Europeans. During the excavation, numerous prehistoric artifacts were found, providing evidence of a fairly large and stable indigenous community occupying the area during the late archaic and early woodland periods, six thousand years ago. 4 In 2001, a team of archeologists excavated the area prior to the building of a parking garage. Recent excavations in West Philadelphia reveal evidence of settlements along the west bank of the Schuylkill River along today’s Civic Center Boulevard. They established various villages along the Schuylkill River and its tributaries. Thus, the natives constantly set up, abandoned, and resettled communities throughout Pennsylvania.Īrcheological evidence indicates that the Lenape inhabited the area centuries before the Europeans arrived. 3 Generally, an occupied area lost its usefulness in two decades' time. As a result, Lenape frequently relocated. Due to their heavy tillage of the land, the soils they farmed gradually lost their productivity. They lived on hunting and growing foodstuffs and depended on the fertility of the land. The Lenape resided in bands along various rivers and creeks. The Lenape were divided into three sub-tribes: the Minsi (People of the Stone Country) inhabited the northern part of Pennsylvania, the Unami (People Who Live Down-River) inhabited the central region of Pennsylvania, and the Unalachtigo (People Who Live by the Ocean) inhabited the southern area of Pennsylvania. Important tribes within this language group included the Ojibwa, Blackfoot, Shawnee, and Lenape. They were a nomadic people belonging to the Algonquian language family. Public DomainWilliam Warner also came to a land inhabited by the Lenape or "Original People," West Philadelphia’s first natives.
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