I’ve been spending much more time exploring my neighborhood of Astoria, NY, due to the pandemic, and I’ve gained a new appreciation for a little spit of sand called Hallet’s Cove. That’s right, Astoria has its very own beach! And like any city beach, it’s kind of gross, strewn with beer bottles, random animal bones, and the occasional syringe. But take a closer look, and it becomes an amateur archaeologist’s paradise. This area has been settled by Europeans since the 17th century, and was populated by Native Americans for thousands of years before that. Its namesake, Hallet, was one of the European families that settled here. It’s fortunate that Hallet’s Cove hasn’t been swept up by development (yet), as luxury condos are relentlessly springing up around it. By some miracle, the beach remains in a more or less natural state.
During low tide, I’ve enjoyed beachcombing at Hallet’s Cove – when the resident geese don’t scare me off, that is – and I’ve found plenty of fascinating objects, both natural and man-made. Some pieces are modern, but I suspect some of my finds are hundreds of years old, although I can’t say for sure. * The objects may not look like much, but as a history lover, I love the clues they hold about the people who lived, worked, and died here.
By coincidence, the day I’m posting this (Jan. 24) is the anniversary of the grisly murder of William Hallet III, his wife and five children, killed with an ax by a slave in 1707 or 1708. The house where it happened no longer exists, but it must have been close to Hallet’s Cove. RIP.
*Update: I’ve since discovered that most of these objects are much more recent than I thought. The striped pieces of “Native American pottery” I kept finding are, more likely, the backs of 20th-century floor tiles! The black stripes on them are traces of adhesive. So disappointing…
A view of Hallet’s Cove, with the Manhattan skyline in the background. 
There used to be brick factory in the area, owned by one of the Hallets. There are still bricks everywhere… 
Two of my recent finds: a beautiful shell and a cameo. I think the cameo’s just plastic, but still pretty! 
Headless Jesus. 
Marble fragment… not sure from what or when. 
Crab claw, brick fragment, etc. 
A Bromo Seltzer bottle, possibly from the 1940s. 
Other side of Bromo Seltzer bottle. 
I’m not sure, but I think this could be a fragment of Native American pottery. (Update: it’s not; it’s probably the back of a floor tile.) 
Back of fragment. 
Side view 
Marble – could be modern, could be 100 years old. The cracking suggests it’s pretty old. 
Bone blackened from fire or age. 
One of the nicest shells I’ve found on the beach. 
Another unidentified ceramic piece… 
Back side of a piece. 
Front side – beautiful coloring! 
Possibly a Native American incense burner??? I’m so excited about this piece! (Update: It’s probably not.) 
Top of piece 
Base of piece 
Side of piece (it has a hole that goes straight through) 
The object is full of holes – to let smoke/ incense out??? 
Possibly a Native American piece? What were the grooves for? (Update: The black stripes are from adhesive.) 
Back side of piece 
Handle of cup or mug 
Front of another piece 
Back of piece 
Why are the two pieces attached like that? (Update: Well, now I know. The black piece is probably the outward-facing floor tile.) 
Old ceramic fragment 
Side view – look how thick it is. 
Slag? 
Fragment with cut marks on it 
Another Native American fragment? (Update: Nope! Floor tile) 
Rabbit from unknown period 
Another exciting find – is it manmade or natural? It looks like amber. 
Back of “amber” piece. 
Piece of cowrie shell 
Piece of what I thought was Native American pottery just lying on the ground. 
Assortment of what I thought were Native American pottery fragments, but actually just the backs of floor tile. Many different colors and types. 
Old metal cow figurine with a nail in its head 
Bone – vertebra 
More fragments 
A typical day’s finds 
Unidentified clay object with metal discs, beads, and diamond-shaped pieces of glass or mirror. 
Bone – possibly a scraper tool 
Large, bright green rock at the cove – who put it there?
Glimpses of Paradise 