Radiocarbon and Artifactual Evidence for Early 17th Century A.D. Dutch Activity at the Site of Fort Orange, Albany, New York, USA

Dutch exploitation of the upper Hudson River Valley initiated with Henry Hudson’s voyage in 1609 a.d. This began a period of resource exploitation by the Dutch that lasted until 1664 when the English took what had become known as New Netherland from the Dutch. The Dutch formed trade relations with Native Americans in the upper Hudson Valley and beyond that focused primarily on beaver and other animal pelts. No Dutch archaeological sites dating to before 1624 with the construction of Fort Orange at present-day Albany, New York, have been documented. However, archaeological evidence from strata pre-dating the Fort’s construction and Bayesian analysis of a series of radiocarbon dates from these strata establish a probable location of Dutch activities. These results suggest that the Fort was sited at a place of established Dutch-Native American interactions, a location utilized by Native Americans for centuries prior to the arrival of the Dutch.