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Ancient Appalachians: A Photo Essay William Archer There is disagreement on the part of the authorities as to what happened to the Native American peoples of North America following Columbus's arrival 500 years ago. The most recent histories of West Virginia, for example, suggest that the post-Columbian Indians only used the area as a common hunting ground. But archaeological discoveries within the last five years at the Snidow site in Mercer County, West Virginia, may ultimately refute those long-standing theories, and in that case rewrite West Virginia history. Field Researchers Faye Vint, Eugene Jones, and David Fuerst at the Snidow site in October 1989. 53 Photo of Native American burial at Snidow site uncovered by Eugene Jones. "From an archeological standpoint this may very well be one of the most fascinating areas in the country. I can positively state that there were between 10,000-12,000 Indians living here when the historians say there were none." 54 Evidence of man's presence in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia can be dated back about 14,000 years. Certain "fluted" projectile points found both at the Pisgah dig in Tazewell County in the early 1970s, and near Pinnacle Rock in Mercer County, suggest that Indians lived in the region that long ago. Shard discovered at Lake Shawnee (Snidow) site by Eugene Jones in 1989. The unique notched lug on the pottery places the Lake Shawnee people with other tribes of the "Fort Ancient" culture. This dates the people of southern West Virginia in the mid-1 7th century. Archaeology is an interesting pursuit regardless of where it is practiced. Archaeologists sift through the ruins of Central and South American civilizations in an attempt to unlock the mysteries of those once magnificent empires but, for the most part, they have not researched the history of the Native Americans of the Appalachian region. However, Eugene Jones and Nell Bundy have chased down leads for decades. Howard MacCord, formerly with the Virginia Department of History in Richmond , and Nicholas Freidan of Marshall University have spent time in these mountains. Most recently, David Fuerst, a doctoral student at the 55 University of North Carolina, spent two summers at the Snidow site in Mercer County, and made some significant discoveries. Snidow is the site of the first permanent white settlement in southern West Virginia—the home of Mitchell Clay, who built a log structure near the abandoned Indian village in 1775. With no evidence of migration of these people it is impossible to know exactly what happened to these Native Americans. Mr. Jones speculated that when the Aztec and Mayan civilizations collapsed, the people were dispersed and traveled north with new ideas of agriculture. "They survived. There's a line that runs from the Hopewell Indians to the people here that spans over 1,000 years." The property is currently owned by Gaylord White, Sr., and his family. The Whites care about the historical significance of their property, but they also purchased the land for its commercial potential. Six years ago the Whites dug a trench and filled it from the Bluestone River and opened the area up for mud-bogging and later added drag racing to their activities. A jeep churns its way through the Lake Shawnee mud bog where Native Americans lived before the arrival of European explorers. The site may hold the key to the mysteries of the Native American region, but modern commercial use may destroy that record before it has been properly examined. 56 The technique of "water sifting" is employed. For the first time in the site's storied history, the technique of "water sifting" was employed. The results were nothing short of amazing. Among the thousands of items David Fuerst and his team discovered were hundreds of glass trade beads, as well as some rolled-copper beads and a pipe which was thought to be made by Native Americans using a European model. Here was evidence that Indians were living in West Virginia at least until the time of the French and Indian War—1754. Unfortunately, many questions about the people who roamed the mountains of southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia may never be...

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