The Ellsworth Cowels Red Bird	by Tim Tuttle
Central States Archaeological Societies 2021 July Journal	Corning, New York

This is an excerpt from "The Ellsworth Cowels Red Bird". Read the complete column in the Central States Archaeological Societies 2021 July Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2022 left - Ellsworth Cowels holding the Red Bird in front of the affidavit describing his find. Figure 2. right - Ellsworth’s son, (and neighbor of the author) David, at age 96, holding his father’s find in 2019.
For those of you not familiar with the archeology of the southern tier of New York State, or have never heard of Painted Post, Big Flats, Spanish Hill or Tioga Point, chances are pretty good that you have never heard of Ellsworth C. Cowels. Mr. Cowels, a local archeologist, is credited with the discovery of an Owasco Indian village (Carantouan) situated close by today’s Waverly, New York, and a large Lamoka Culture settlement, located between modern day Lamoka and Waneta Lakes in Schuyler County. The modern story of the Red Bird begins in 1912, when a work party unearthed the relic, while digging a sand trap at the Shepard Hills Golf Couse in Waverly, New York. Ellsworth, as a young boy, acquired the stone from the original finder whose name unfortunately has not been recorded. He immediately knew he had a keeper! I believe this may have sparked the beginning of his lifelong passion with local archeology. Mr. Cowels cared for and cherished the Red Bird up until he reluctantly parted with the artifact on May 18, 1990, the only artifact he ever sold. The story, as relayed to me by Mr. Cowels’ son, Dick (who ironically is my neighbor), claims that Mrs. Cowels was ...
Read the complete column in the Central States Archaeological Societies 2021 July Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2022