EXCAVATING THE COAST 



By Jeannie Faris 



The archaeological study of 

 prehistoric Indian settlements is still in 

 its infancy in coastal North Carolina, 

 where about 20 sites have been 

 excavated. Following is a sample. 



1. Baum # A site north of Poplar 

 Branch in Currituck County, excavated 

 from 1973 to 1983. It was the possible 

 capital for the Carolina Algonkian 

 Poteskeet people. Maximum use of the 

 site probably took 



place between 300 

 B.C. and 1650, 

 though there is 

 evidence of earlier 

 occupation. 

 Among the most 

 compelling finds 

 was a cemetery 

 complex of five 

 ossuaries signifi- 

 cant to understand- 

 ing the Carolina 

 Algonkian mortu- 

 ary and religious 

 customs. The mass 

 burials contained 

 30 to 60 men and 

 women, ranging 

 from newborn to 

 old age. 



2. Broad 

 Reach ▲ A site 

 near Swansboro in 

 Carteret County, 

 excavated in 1991 

 and 1992. The 

 inhabitants may 

 have been 

 Algonkians or 

 Iroquoians with 

 Algonkian influ- 

 ence. Recovered 



pottery dates back 2,000 years, with 

 radiocarbon testing on other objects 

 producing dates of 1 158 and 1441, plus 

 or minus 50 years. The site contained 

 two ossuaries, perhaps for different 

 classes of people. 



3. Chowanoke • An Algonkian 

 site on the west bank of the Chowan 

 River, excavated from 1972 to 1984. 

 Chowanoke was the capital town of the 

 Carolina Algonkian society of the 

 same name. Excavated features include 



cooking pits — dating from 825 to 

 1650 — ceramics, storage and refuse 

 pits, dog burials and a human burial 

 from an earlier occupation. The 

 agricultural lands lay to the west of 

 town, which was the largest of the most 

 politically powerful Carolina Al- 

 gonkian society. 



4. Cold Morning 0- ASiouansite 

 south of Wilmington in New Hanover 

 County, excavated from 1977 to 1979. 

 Ceramics date to the early and late 



Woodland periods, 

 but an ossuary for 

 16 people and a 

 fetus appears to be 

 late Woodland 

 Period. Ceramics 

 suggest this site was 

 used over a long 

 period of time, but it 

 was probably not 

 occupied by many 

 people. No middens 

 and almost no 

 features were found. 

 The ossuary was 

 isolated and perhaps 

 dug after the site 

 was most inten- 

 sively occupied. The 

 people responsible 

 probably lived 

 elsewhere. 



5. Flynt ▲ ■ 

 An Algonkian site 

 near Sneads Ferry in 

 Onslow County, 

 excavated from 

 1982 to 1987. The 

 number of artifacts 

 and rate of shell 

 midden growth 

 suggest that a 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 13 



