Thursday, November 4, 1976
Archaeology Program
West Virginia has a most attractive State archaeologist – whether she is the only female holding such a position we forgot to ask. Her program last Thursday night at the Arbovale Community Center was fascinating.
Using slides to illustrate her talk, she started getting man into West Virginia from across the Bering Strait about 40,000 years ago, then down this way about 10,000 years ago. From this Paleo age, she showed the fluted point, which was wrapped on a split stick. There are only five or six Paleo sites in the eastern United States, and they think one might be at Parkersburg.
Next were the Archaic people, and a nationally prominent site of this age is the St. Albans site, 15 miles west of Charleston. Discovered in 1963, it’s considered the most important site discovered in the last 50 years in the U. S. The silt from floods left distinct layers of artifacts so that these ages are not mixed. They go down 37 feet. At 1 1/2 feet, the age is 6210 BC; at 16 feet, 7900 B. C. They used baskets or skins in this age, not pots, so heated rocks were dropped into containers to cook things. She showed 10 point types, plus digging tools, etc.
In the late archaic period, 4000 B. C., the people had changed their habits of living, were more sedentary, had bigger spear points and a new invention – a spear thrower, also a gouge, for woodworking of some sort, such as canoes.
By 1000 B.C., a new group – Adena – appears with new ideas, maybe from outside influence. They buried their dead in mounds. In these were found copper jewelry – hammered, cold, engraved rocks, and spear points. Bow and arrows were not invented yet. The late Adena group made log tombs. This age had long tubular pipes; a little round rock kept the tobacco out of the mouth.
Then came the Fort Ancient People. These lived in the Buffalo Village, in Putnam County. This was a large village with three circles of houses, fields outside, corn agriculture, several thousand people. They have discovered 560 burials and lots of infant burials. They found evidence of rickets, arthritis and all kinds of bone diseases. They had several shapes of pipes, elbow or platform types, also a bone comb. Now, at 700 to 1000 A. D., they had bows and arrows and small arrow points, plus lots of pottery, etc. were found.
1686 is the first record of a European in West Virginia stopping at what possibly was Buffalo Indian Settlement…
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ray, of Cass, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. David Grimes, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Beverage, of Hillsboro, a son, named Brian Lee.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lovelace, of Marlinton, a son, named John David.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. George W. (Bill) Clarkson, of Arlington, Virginia, a daughter, named Ami Margaret.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Derwood Custer of McGaheysville, Virginia, formerly of Hillsboro, a son, named Carlton Lamar.
DEATHS
James Gilpen Schoolcraft, 67, of Buckeye, a son of the late Edward Johnson and Sara Elizabeth Schoolcraft; burial in the Kee Cemetery.
Owen Milton Hook, 87, of Mill Point; retired farmer; a son of the late Thomas L. and Micinda Catherine Hook. Burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Isaac A. Starks, 65, of Bartow; retired lumberman; burial in the Arbovale Cemetery.
Forrest Garrett Kellison, 64, of Buckeye, a son of the late Porter and Clara Garrett Kellison. Burial in Mountain View Cemetery.
Harry E. Curry, 68, of Durbin, a son of the late Frank J. and Elsie Curry. Burial in the Gum Cemetery on Back Mountain.