Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

The Late Woodland is characterized by a pattern of population growth and territorial expansion
across the Northeast (Calloway, 1990). Thomas (1994:83) also notes that “sites dating to the
Late Woodland Period occur throughout Vermont, but the actual time of their occupation has
been very difficult to determine” as radiocarbon dates only exist for six Late Woodland sites.
Half of these, Sumner’s Falls (800 ±80 B.P.), Skitchewaug (850 ±50 to 580 ±60 B.P.), and
Dewey’s Mills (490 ±120 B.P.) lie in the Connecticut River valley or along one of its major
tributaries (Thomas, 1994). Haviland and Power (1994) note that house features have been
identified at a site in Fairlee, Vermont. Further toward southern Vermont in the Connecticut
River Valley are VT-WD-14 on Dummerston Island, a single sherd recovered from Fort
Dummer in Brattleboro, Vermont, and a number of sites in the Great Bend area at Vernon,
Vermont. The Late Woodland is marked by the confirmed cultivation of non-indigenous plants.
For example, carbonized corn, beans, and squash were recovered from storage pit and associated
shallow pit house features at Skitchewaug (Heckenberger and Petersen, 1988; Thomas, 1994).
Recently, Chilton (2006, 2008) reassessed the introduction of corn in New England.
Heckenberger and Petersen (1988; Heckenberger et al., 1992) hypothesize that cultigens quickly
became an important dietary focus soon after their adoption and local populations became
increasingly tethered to floodplain sites, minimally from April through September (Haviland and
Power, 1994). Archaeological investigations at Shelburne Pond suggest aboriginal utilization of
the rich wetland and marsh environments increased as waters became more eutrophic. Similarly,
hydrological changes affecting Lake Champlain and associated riverine water levels may have
influenced the size and location of marshlands where Native Americans sought resources during
the Late Woodland period.
After 500 B.P there appears to be a decline in evidence of Native American occupation. Abenaki
oral traditions and ceramic vessels in older artifact traditions indicate local continuity of
occupation in northwestern Vermont between 500 B.P. and 350 B.P. Data from Late Woodland
sites located on the Missisquoi River suggests a heavy reliance on hunting and horticulture and
that the Woodland Period Abenaki probably didn’t grow corn along the Missisquoi until after
1100 A.D. Perhaps the most important Late Woodland archaeological discovery occurred just a
few years ago when the Vermont Agency of Transportation was preparing to reconstruct the
Missisquoi Bridge at the north end of Lake Champlain. Initial sampling and subsequent
evaluation discovered a late pre Contact or early Contact period village site with impressive
features, faunal and flora remains, and ceramics. The Bohannon site (VT-GI-26/32) was
occupied sometime between 1400 A.D. and 1600 A.D. (Crock and Mandel, 2001). Thomas
(1994:86) suggests that further study is “clearly needed to determine whether the poor visibility
[of these Late Woodland Period sites] today resulted from a substantial shift in settlement focus
to areas which are not commonly surveyed, from major demographic changes [perhaps resulting
from Iroquoian movement into the St. Lawrence Valley], from site loss due to historic plowing
and pilfering, or from other causes.” Although few Late Woodland period archaeological sites
are known within the northern border project area of Vermont, their presence and recent
discoveries suggest that the possibility for encountering additional sites of this age is high.
Northern Border Activities H-18 July 2012