Long before European settlement, the Lenni Lenape lived in the area of New Jersey.
"A great variety of birds and mammals were hunted by the Indians of Lenapehoking; some of these are now extinct or no longer indigenous. In 1612, for example, Captain Samuel Argall and his Indian guides killed bison along the Pembrook River...The most abundant animal remains present in the Indian refuse pits, however, are those of deer, elk, black bear, racoons, turkeys, geese, turtles, fish and mussels...Upon reaching his dwelling, the hunter's traditional behavior was to leave the deer or other kill before the door and enter the house without speaking a word...Sharing meat and other supplies promoted good will and ensured the survival of the group--so long as one person had food, all had food. Indeed, one's prestige was measured not by the amount of goods accumulated, but by the generosity with which one shared with other members of the community, especially the aged and infirm...Indian hunters always provided for the elderly and those no longer able to shoot a bow...Autumn was the usual time for deer hunting, after the harvest had been dried and stored for winter use...More than likely, the returning families also brought fresh venison, skins, nuts, firewood and, and bone grease...In autumn and early winter, nuts of many kinds were available in abundance, and most-fattened, thick-pelted deer, elk, bear, raccoons, and turkeys provided good meat and skins...(p. 261-3) In spring, summer, and early fall, most Indians fished along the river banks and shores...Men, women, and children gathered shellfish which were an important food supplement ...It appears that Indians gathered...freshwater mussels quite regularly from a fairly large area. Some were eaten immediately...It is also probably that quantities of freshwater mussels were gathered throughout the year and deposited in streams near the camp until an especially hot day in July or August, when these shellfish were brought to the campsite in baskets. Spread out on a patio-like bed of rocks, with sun-heated stones beneath, and the strong solar rays from above, the mussels opened, dried, and dehydrated in their shells...People apparently scraped the dried clams out of their shells and stored them in clay pots, leather bags, or baskets, or string the meat together for later use in soups or sapan.(p. 276-7)...The best evidence for prehistoric gardening practices in Lenapehoking derives from archaeological excavations in the upper Delaware River Valley...Corn, several varieties of podded beans, and different kinds of curcurbits or squashes, the Indians' primary cultigens, were planted together. Although anciently cultivated in Mexico and Peru...these plants probably made their first appearance in Lenapehoking in the early part of the Late Woodland period...but may not have become a major source of food until considerably afer A.D. 1300. In time, the Indians grew both soft and hard varieties of maize in coors including white, red, blue, brown, yellow, flesh-colored, and spotted...The most common variety of corn appears to have been maiz de Ocho or eight-row Northern Flint corn...Corn cobs recovered in archaeological excavations from sites in the upper Delaware River Valley indicated that ears were quite small, generally about 3 to 4 inches in length...Beans including common pole beans...and runners, were planted in the same place as corn, but some weeks later so that the growing corn stalk might provide a support for the vines...Curcurbits, including several varieties of summer squashes...and certain winter squashes...including pumpkins, were planted in or about the corn and bean hills...Many garden vegetables were eaten day by day as they ripened, but others were stored for use in the fall and winter...Indian women preserved some corn by simply peeling back the husks, braiding the ears, and hanging the clusters from house poles and roof supports. Most of the remaining corn was boiled, dried, removed from the cob, and stored in skin bags or bark containers. Beans were boiled for a few minutes and then dried for preservation. Pumpkins and squash were sliced into thin rings after after which a stick was inserted through them and they were hung up to dry in the sun..."The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage: 10,000 BC to AD2000, Herbert C. Kraft [Lenape Books:NJ] 2001
