Excavations Reveal Lost Indigenous Settlements in Virginia

Archaeologists have unearthed thousands of Indigenous American artifacts at two sites in the Fones Cliffs region along Virginia's Rappahannock River. These artifacts, including beads, pieces of pottery, stone tools, and tobacco pipes, are believed to originate from Indigenous villages described by the English colonist John Smith in 1608.

Julia King, a professor of anthropology at St. Mary's College of Maryland, led the excavations and confirmed that the findings align with both oral histories of the Rappahannock tribe and Smith's historical accounts.

The excavations have yielded roughly 11,000 artifacts, some possibly dating back to the 1500s. The sites are strategically located above cliffs, providing extensive views of the river valley and fertile soil suitable for agriculture.

Historically, the Rappahannock tribe sold approximately 25,000 acres of land to the Jamestown colony in the 17th century for a modest price of 30 blankets, beads, and tools, although the nature of such land agreements remains debated among historians.

The Rappahannock tribe, still residing nearby, aims to reclaim and protect these ancestral lands, collaborating with private partners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to safeguard key sites. This discovery not only illuminates the pre-colonial history of Indigenous peoples in Virginia but also enhances understanding of their interactions with early English settlers, as noted by historian Karen Ordahl Kupperman and independent historian David Price, who emphasized the importance of these finds in deepening knowledge of the Rappahannock and their historical context.