iir.suMfi 



Geoloffic hl.sfori/ of' the prorincr — The Potomac-Chesapeake tidewater 

 ])i()viiii'0 lii's oiitsiilf or east of wliat is known as tlie " tall line" — the 

 base of t!ie liiyliUuid proper — and is a broad, much broken ])lat('au, 

 nowhere more than a few hundred feet in height. The geologic forma- 

 tions consist ill the main of loosely bedded bowlder-gravels and sands 

 derived from tlu^ highland at periods when the sea covered the entire 

 area, washing the highland along the fall line. Subsequent elevations 

 of a few hundred feet drove the sea outward beyond its present limit, 

 and erosion carved the exposed land into hills and valleys. 



At a later period the land was depressed a hundred feet or more, 

 and the valleys were tilled with water from the sea. forming a thousand 

 arms and inlets whose tortuous margins now meander the old hill slojies 

 of th(^ province midway in their height. 



Historic peoples — When first visited by the English this district was 

 occupied by numerous Indian tribes, who subsisted largely by hunting 

 and tisliiug, but engaged to some extent in the cultivation of maize. 

 They were a vigorous, valiant race, but had made but little progress 

 in any of the arts save those of mere subsistence. Today they have 

 entirelj- disajtpeared, and students interested in their history gather 

 the scattered remains of their art. seeking thus to sui)plement the 

 meager records of colonial days. 



Art remains — The art remains preserved to our time indicate the 

 lirevalence of extremely simple conditions of life throughout the past, 

 and exhibit no features at variance with those characterizing the his- 

 toric occupancy. While their study throws much light on numerous 

 ejiisodes of the history of the aboriginal tribes, the story they tell of 

 themselves and of the industrial straggles of primitive peoples in gen- 

 eral is of profound interest. 



Status of art — As indicated by the remains, art in stone — which is 

 the l(>adiiig art rejiresented — was still almost wliolly within the imiile- 

 meiit making phase of the stone age. mythology and the esthetic forces 

 not yet having lent their inspiration to the hand of the sculptor. 



rtilization of stoue — Stone in its \arioiis forms was much valued and 

 used by these people and was sought both in the lowland and in the 

 highland beyond. In the lowland it occurred as bowlders and pebbles 

 brought down by tlie waters and in the highland as original masses 

 and as surface fragments dislodged by natural forces. It was gathered 

 from the surface for various uses, and when the supply was insutficieut 



