Moswetuset Hummock

Before colonial times, Native Americans used the creeks and wetlands of Quincy Bay as abundant food sources for shellfish, fish, waterfowl, migratory birds, and even whales. They lived here during spring and summer, then moved inland to the area around the Blue Hills in late fall and winter. This area became especially important for summer occupation around 8,000 years ago, when Black's Creek estuary began to develop, and it grew increasingly popular afterward. Moswetuset Hummock was the seat of Chickataubut, the Sachem of the local Native Americans, the Massachusetts, who lived in this area in the early 1600s. It is one of the few ancient sites in New England that has remained relatively undeveloped since that time, still bounded by the sea where Native Americans fished, the salt marshes that provided food and protection, and the planting grounds to the west. During the summer months, Native American subsistence activities focused on the coast and its associated estuaries, such as Black's Creek and Sachem's Brook, while small hunting parties went into nearby interior uplands such as the Blue Hills for deer, rabbits, and birds to supplement a diet centered on readily available fish and shellfish.

Quincy, Massachusetts · United States