Skip to comments.
Why Did Monongahela Indians Disappear From Western Pennsylvania?
Northern Light ^
| 10-2-2002
Posted on 10/03/2002 2:54:16 PM PDT by blam
click here to read article
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-37 last
To: Ditto
I can't imagine the rivers that drain nearly all the land west of the Appalachians from New York state to North Carolina ever running totally dry.It only happens in years when El Niño illegally migrates to Lake Erie.
To: blam
I have been persuaded recently that when the modern Europeans discovered South America, that there were more people there than all of Europe. N/A, don't know? If there had been millions or even 100s of thousands settled in an area the size of Western PA, they would have out of necessity build permanent settlements which would have left many more artifacts than what remain. That is what we see in Central and South America. These were hunter/gather societies who practiced agriculture on a small scale. The limitations of the land in feeding people in that type of cultures prevents their populations from growing too large.
22
posted on
10/03/2002 3:57:20 PM PDT
by
Ditto
To: another cricket
The question is did they irrigate using the river? If they didn't it wouldn't matter if it were flowing or not. These weren't corn fields like we see them today covering hundreds of acres. They were small garden type plots that could be easily irrigated or watered by hand.
23
posted on
10/03/2002 3:59:16 PM PDT
by
Ditto
To: Chad Fairbanks
I think you are correct. There may or may not have been draught, but that alone would not have forced them off the land. It was always has been and remains good hunting territory which other tribes were more than willing to snatch if they could.
24
posted on
10/03/2002 4:01:40 PM PDT
by
Ditto
To: blam
A few years back, all the Northeast was affected by drought except for two or three counties in the extreme southwest corner of Pennsylvania. When we think of "indigenous peoples" we forget that there were vast tracts where no one lived. And the spread of diseases decimated other "native populations."
25
posted on
10/03/2002 4:14:22 PM PDT
by
x
To: blam
It was global warming and ArtAl BellGore caused it!!!
26
posted on
10/03/2002 4:16:41 PM PDT
by
Waco
To: blam
For decades, anthropologists have struggled to explain why the once thriving Monongahela Indian culture disappeared from southwestern Pennsylvania by 1635 - well in advance of European settlement. I heard that they all were moving to Las Vegas to open casinos and died on the way. Probably from smoking peace pipes. Lung cancer, you know.
27
posted on
10/03/2002 4:21:56 PM PDT
by
jackbill
To: jackbill
Lung cancer, you know.Well, I say lead poisoning. Very nasty! Nearly always fatal (assuming the sniper was a Marine.)
28
posted on
10/03/2002 4:29:22 PM PDT
by
toddst
To: blam
They couldn't pay the high taxes in Allegheny County and moved on elsewhere!
To: blam
Remember when they protested a Wal-Mart on the ancient burial grounds. What ever happened to that?
See here.
To: Ditto
They were small garden type plots that could be easily irrigated or watered by hand. These were two and five year draughts. The first drought they could have survived albeit in a weakened state but not the second five year one. The first year they could have carried water to the fields although it would have been extremely labor intensive they would have stored food from last years harvest and there still would have been fair hunting and gathering. The harvest would have been much smaller as the amount of water they could carry would not equal the amount normally provided by rainfall.
The next year they would be running out of food and hunting would be poor. Lack of food would mean less energy to carry water resulting in an even smaller harvest. Throw in a few raiding parties who carried off or destroyed some of their food and killed some of their healthy tribe members. Add in the possibility of decease because of their weakened state. In the third year of drought they would not longer be numerous enough or healthy enough to hold their land. They would have moved on.
a.cricket
To: another cricket
Maybe, but I have my doubts.
32
posted on
10/03/2002 5:33:45 PM PDT
by
Ditto
To: blam
Most interesting.
33
posted on
10/04/2002 4:32:18 PM PDT
by
Beowulf
To: blam; FairOpinion; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach
34
posted on
10/25/2006 10:18:47 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Dhimmicrati delenda est! https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: Chad Fairbanks
It was my Iroquian ancestors that drove them out - they were in the way ;0)
I was thinking they probably were a factor. The Six Nations back then were still pretty badass. You can ask the Erie tribe about that ... no wait they obliterated them.
35
posted on
10/26/2006 11:38:21 AM PDT
by
ccc_jr
(Klaatu barada nikto)
This topic was posted , thanks again blam.
36
posted on
05/23/2022 8:01:19 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(The Demagogic Party is a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
To: blam
I went to school in NW Pa in the late 70’s. I can’t imagine what they consider drought. Only raining twice a week? Here in NM we haven’t had measurable rain in three months.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-37 last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson