Archaeology

The Jay Estate is a National Historic Landmark site within an archaeologically sensitive zone. Artifacts have been found from Archaic and Woodland periods, as well as more recent colonial times and John Jay’s own period of occupation of the Rye estate. For example a 4000 year old golden quartz projectile point might be discovered next to a Paleo Indian pottery shard or even a kaolin clay pipe. These and other archaeological finds like dutch bricks, animal bones, 18th and 19th century ceramics, nails and more have excited experts about this anthropologically rich site.