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Native Indians at Laurel Hill Historical Marker

Location of sign - Laurel Hill is five miles from Mount Airy, NC and twenty-five miles from Stuart, VA

Photo taken -  2005

Photo courtesy of Free State of Patrick

Text of sign:

The archaeological investigation of the Laurel Hill property by the College of William and Mary’s Center for Archaeological Research in 1993 revealed the presence of Native American activity on this crest during the Archaic and Woodland Periods (circa 12000 BC to 900 A.D.). This site appears from the recovered artifacts to have been occupied and reoccupied by Paleo-Indian and Archaic Native American groups exploiting the resource rich Ararat River Valley to the north. The Paleo-Indian peoples may have used the site on the high ground above a water source, the Ararat River, as a hunting campground. The Archaic peoples were hunter-gatherers and the majority of artifacts found are from this period.

Thus, this prehistoric site appears to have been the site of intermittent Native American activity spanning a period of some 13000 years ending with Woodland period ending circa 900 A.D. There was no evidence of occupation in the Late Woodland period circa 900 to 1600 A.D.

The Native American site extends approximately 300 feet north and south and approximately 60 feet east to west of this point. The site was defined by the recovery of prehistoric lithic tools and projectile points through controlled surface collection methods. Photographs of the recovered artifacts are shown here.

Graphics on the sign:  

In addition to the text there is picture of J.E.B. Stuart and a picture of Indian artifacts.

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