Way before there was a Bay Terrace Shopping Center or co-ops, split-level houses and the Long Island Railroad, Bayside was undeveloped land with an entire prehistory. “Native Bayside,” a permanent exhibition at the Bayside Historical Society in Fort Totten, chronicles the prehistory of Bayside and the Northeast.
The exhibition features artifacts recovered from an archaeological site in Queens. The culmination of 35 years of work by archaeologist Edward J. Platt and the New York Institute of Anthropology, the Bayside site is the oldest carbon-14 dated continually inhabited site in coastal New York State.
The exhibit begins with the Paleo-Indian Stage, 10,000 BC to 7500 BC and continues through to the Historic Era, AD 1600 to the present, showcasing various artifacts. There are hundreds of things in the collection including the archives, many of which are still being catalogued, says Alison McKay, archivist/exhibit coordinator for the Bayside Historical Society. She is working with anthropologists on this process.
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A highlight of the exhibit is the model archaeological dig room, which details the site excavation process. It demonstrates the step-down process of excavation, and how the further down you dig, the different finds and further in history you go. The site features common artifacts you would find in the different stages of the dig.
The exhibition, especially the archaeological dig room, is a popular spot for children, says McKay.
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“The site allows kids to see the archeological process and be able to apply it to their own town,” says McKay.
Each year the Bayside Historical Society serves more than 800 children and hundreds of adults through its education programs. “We get a lot of fourth and second graders,” says McKay.
The Bayside Historical Society is housed in the restored Officer’s Club (the Castle), which was originally built in 1887 and is now a New York City landmark. It is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; all other times by appointment. A $3 donation is suggested for admission.
Visit www.baysidehistorical.org for more information.