Tuscarora search yields results

Privateer6 · 06-11-2006, 10:57 AM

thought this might interest some of you. here's the link

http://www.wilsondaily.com/LIfe/Feat...5279967334.php

Tuscarora search yields results

By Alex Keown Daily Times Staff Writer

Dust swirled around boots and tennis shoes as the stooped forms of men, some young, some not so, shuffled across a Wilson tobacco field hunting their quarry.

Heads bowed, necks exposed to the bright May sunshine, they carefully looked for things that would indicate they were on the right trail. But these men weren't on the prowl for game, they were searching for shards of the past.

For more than a year, archaeologist Tom Beaman and historian Jerry MacLean, a retired Barton College professor, have been strolling farm fields across Wilson County searching for remnants of Tuscarora Indian villages.

Beaman's search is an updated attempt at tracing known Tuscarora villages through eastern North Carolina. In the late 1990s two East Carolina University archaeologists embarked on a two-year study of Tuscarora communities in eastern North Carolina. The archaeologists examined sites in Pitt, Lenoir, Wayne and Greene counties, however their time limit ran out before the duo could search in Wilson County. With the county's 150th anniversary last year, the sesquicentennial committee felt it was time to add Wilson to the ECU survey. Armed with a $4,000 stipend, Beaman and MacLean set out to find the sites.

"We really used their study as a guideline to how we approached this," Beaman said. And that guideline, which includes a proximity to water, elevation and soil type, has paid off, he added.

After months of walking fields, Beaman said he is confident he's uncovered evidence of at least seven Tuscarora sites in Wilson County.

"They each fit the pattern, and we found large traces of Cashie pottery at each site," Beaman said. "Cashie pottery is the smoking gun, so to speak."

Cashie pottery is the style employed by the Tuscarora and is distinctive to archaeologists from other pottery made by natives.

Tuscarora sites had a lifespan of about 20 years before the resources were depleted. Once a site was drained of its resources, the Tuscarora who lived there would move to a new location, Beaman said.

THE SEARCH

Farm fields have been a favorite to search because of the constant turning of the soil. As farmers plow the fields, treasures from the past sometimes come to the surface. Some of these treasures include Native American projectile points, pottery shards and other worked stone pieces.

Some of the artifacts Beaman has dated span thousands of years. He's found projectile points that are roughly 6,000 years old and some that are only centuries old. While the Cashie pottery is the telling artifact for dating the Tuscarora, some projectile point styles also help date the area, too. With artifacts spanning several millennia, Beaman said it indicated that "a good place to live, is a good place to live, is a good place to live."

Scouring a field off London Church Road last month, MacLean said they'd made some good finds. He had a brown paper sack brimming with Cashie pottery sherds, stone flakes and projectile points.

"This is a great field. We need to mark this one down and remember it for future reference," he told Beaman.

MacLean said he has gone days without finding any trace of the Tuscarora Indians in farm fields, and then some days he's found overwhelming evidence of their settlements.

The Tuscaroras arrived in what would later become North Carolina around 800 A.D. The Tuscaroras claimed the land between the Tar River and the Neuse River, from the Pamlico Sound to near Raleigh.

Wilson historian Hugh Johnston wrote that a Tuscarora settlement was "apparently on the waters of Buckhorn Branch near its junction with the north side of Toisnot Swamp exactly two miles southeast of Godwin's Bridge." While there are Tuscarora artifacts on that site, Beaman said the evidence is overwhelming that there's more than one site in Wilson County.

Beaman plans to write up a report of his findings for the sesquicentennial celebration. He'll also have an expert in Native American pottery examine the shards that were found in Wilson to double check the search's findings.

However, he said the search should continue to provide more conclusive evidence. The next step, he said, would be to go below the surface of these fields and see what can be learned.

"Excavation could yield more knowledge."

PRE-TUSCARORA TIMELINE

Most archaeologists believe that the first people in the North Carolina coastal plain were Clovis people who arrived around 10,000 B.C. At that time, the climate here was similar to upstate New York. Around 8,000 B.C., the climate warmed up, changing the culture of the people who lived here. This is called the Woodland period.

People lived near the confluence of streams, but they also had many temporary sites where they would stay while they hunted. They hunted animals that still live here, such as deer, turkeys, bears and opossums. They also gathered acorns, nuts and berries and went to the coast to fish.

About 1000 B.C., their culture changed again. They began living in permanent settlements and farming as well as sending out hunting parties. They made and used pottery.

"We know virtually nothing about these people at a time when their lives were changing dramatically," said Beaman.

After 300 B.C., the culture changed again. Permanent villages were located along streams.

Blackbear · 06-12-2006, 05:39 AM

darn tootin someone would find that interesting... ME! Nya-weh!! It was a very good read and reminded me of some things that I had forgotten about.

lostsalt · 06-12-2006, 02:11 PM

Thanks GJJudd,
I appreaciate that as well.

Privateer6 · 06-12-2006, 02:22 PM

No problem. I live in Wilson, NC which is on/near the old Toisnot village. Infact there is a Toisnot Swamp, Toisnot Creek, and Toisnot Middle School. When I see something interesting, I post. In reference to previous posts on the Tuscarora land claim in Elm City, NC, everything is still pending.

lostsalt · 06-12-2006, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GJJudd

No problem. I live in Wilson, NC which is on/near the old Toisnot village. Infact there is a Toisnot Swamp, Toisnot Creek, and Toisnot Middle School. When I see something interesting, I post. In reference to previous posts on the Tuscarora land claim in Elm City, NC, everything is still pending.

my grandmother's farm is pretty close by in between Elm City and Sharpsburg. It is real hard to get information out here, my friend I seriously thank you.

LS

Blackbear · 06-12-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GJJudd

No problem. I live in Wilson, NC which is on/near the old Toisnot village. Infact there is a Toisnot Swamp, Toisnot Creek, and Toisnot Middle School. When I see something interesting, I post. In reference to previous posts on the Tuscarora land claim in Elm City, NC, everything is still pending.

Who's land claim? the nations' or those guys without a leg to stand on? I have not heard of the nation having any land claims in NC or any plans for one so you gotta be talking about those guys who bought that plot of land and were wanting to have power lines put in there right?

Privateer6 · 06-12-2006, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostsalt

my grandmother's farm is pretty close by in between Elm City and Sharpsburg. It is real hard to get information out here, my friend I seriously thank you.

LS

Check out the Wilson Daily Times website. The local paper FINALLY put it's news online.

BB
Yes I am talking about the group that purchased land and is trying to get recognized. A you know very well from moderating other posts, that is a touchy subject in these parts of NC,. I'ld rather not get involved on one side or the other until I myself have all the facts. I will post what is in the paper, but I am not gonna side until I get all the facts. Yes I have my opinion, but as my old M/SGT. use to say, " opinions are like a$$&*(^s, everyone has one and they all tend to smell like s&(t."

lostsalt · 06-12-2006, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GJJudd

Check out the Wilson Daily Times website. The local paper FINALLY put it's news online.

BB
Yes I am talking about the group that purchased land and is trying to get recognized. A you know very well from moderating other posts, that is a touchy subject in these parts of NC,. I'ld rather not get involved on one side or the other until I myself have all the facts. I will post what is in the paper, but I am not gonna side until I get all the facts. Yes I have my opinion, but as my old M/SGT. use to say, " opinions are like a$$&*(^s, everyone has one and they all tend to smell like s&(t."

I , for one, didn't know anyone was trying to doa land claim. There are a few folks around that claim the lineage. I'm not sure how they could (seriously) try for a land claim. The War was hundreds of years ago. The people as a defined group have not existed in many years. Only decendents as far as I know. Where were these people when I was growing up. I never heard many people claim heritage at all much less trying to get land. I don't believe that will fly.

Lostsalt

Privateer6 · 06-12-2006, 08:49 PM

Lostsalt,
If memory serves me correct, one of the links below covers the article I believe, A group of Tuscarora from the Lumberton area, as a way to get around the federal law saying that all Indians in the county are Lumbee, went ahead and purchased 10 acres of land in Wilson County, NC. The hired lawyers and are trying to get recognized.

Ok here is the link below
Attorneys Join Tuscarora Case

Hope this helps.

Blackbear · 06-12-2006, 10:32 PM

That's the thing.. alot of people there are descended from tuscarora or have some in their lineage, but there's several wanting to call themselves nations .. they are'nt nations.

lostsalt · 06-13-2006, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbear

That's the thing.. alot of people there are descended from tuscarora or have some in their lineage, but there's several wanting to call themselves nations .. they are'nt nations.

I agree BB ... they aren't nations. I can't believe anyone is trying this. To tie back to the tribe... yes. Organize a group of tribal specific members... yes. Research & try to learn about old villages ... yes. Attempt state recognition... probrably not. But Land Claim? C'mon. The Lumbee are having to "fight like the dickens" and their stuff is considerably more documented. I just don't know...

Blackbear · 06-13-2006, 04:15 PM

It's a long heated story Lostsalt... there are members here that would tell you they have proof to make you think differntly ... and there's me that says that their information is only half represented with much omitted. Anyhow, if you want to know more about their opinion you could do a search in this area of the forum for tuscarora and lumbee and read up.

06-11-2006, 10:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
Privateer6 Like my new toy? Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cylon occupied North Carolina Posts: 775	Tuscarora search yields results thought this might interest some of you. here's the link http://www.wilsondaily.com/LIfe/Feat...5279967334.php Tuscarora search yields results By Alex Keown Daily Times Staff Writer Dust swirled around boots and tennis shoes as the stooped forms of men, some young, some not so, shuffled across a Wilson tobacco field hunting their quarry. Heads bowed, necks exposed to the bright May sunshine, they carefully looked for things that would indicate they were on the right trail. But these men weren't on the prowl for game, they were searching for shards of the past. For more than a year, archaeologist Tom Beaman and historian Jerry MacLean, a retired Barton College professor, have been strolling farm fields across Wilson County searching for remnants of Tuscarora Indian villages. Beaman's search is an updated attempt at tracing known Tuscarora villages through eastern North Carolina. In the late 1990s two East Carolina University archaeologists embarked on a two-year study of Tuscarora communities in eastern North Carolina. The archaeologists examined sites in Pitt, Lenoir, Wayne and Greene counties, however their time limit ran out before the duo could search in Wilson County. With the county's 150th anniversary last year, the sesquicentennial committee felt it was time to add Wilson to the ECU survey. Armed with a $4,000 stipend, Beaman and MacLean set out to find the sites. "We really used their study as a guideline to how we approached this," Beaman said. And that guideline, which includes a proximity to water, elevation and soil type, has paid off, he added. After months of walking fields, Beaman said he is confident he's uncovered evidence of at least seven Tuscarora sites in Wilson County. "They each fit the pattern, and we found large traces of Cashie pottery at each site," Beaman said. "Cashie pottery is the smoking gun, so to speak." Cashie pottery is the style employed by the Tuscarora and is distinctive to archaeologists from other pottery made by natives. Tuscarora sites had a lifespan of about 20 years before the resources were depleted. Once a site was drained of its resources, the Tuscarora who lived there would move to a new location, Beaman said. THE SEARCH Farm fields have been a favorite to search because of the constant turning of the soil. As farmers plow the fields, treasures from the past sometimes come to the surface. Some of these treasures include Native American projectile points, pottery shards and other worked stone pieces. Some of the artifacts Beaman has dated span thousands of years. He's found projectile points that are roughly 6,000 years old and some that are only centuries old. While the Cashie pottery is the telling artifact for dating the Tuscarora, some projectile point styles also help date the area, too. With artifacts spanning several millennia, Beaman said it indicated that "a good place to live, is a good place to live, is a good place to live." Scouring a field off London Church Road last month, MacLean said they'd made some good finds. He had a brown paper sack brimming with Cashie pottery sherds, stone flakes and projectile points. "This is a great field. We need to mark this one down and remember it for future reference," he told Beaman. MacLean said he has gone days without finding any trace of the Tuscarora Indians in farm fields, and then some days he's found overwhelming evidence of their settlements. The Tuscaroras arrived in what would later become North Carolina around 800 A.D. The Tuscaroras claimed the land between the Tar River and the Neuse River, from the Pamlico Sound to near Raleigh. Wilson historian Hugh Johnston wrote that a Tuscarora settlement was "apparently on the waters of Buckhorn Branch near its junction with the north side of Toisnot Swamp exactly two miles southeast of Godwin's Bridge." While there are Tuscarora artifacts on that site, Beaman said the evidence is overwhelming that there's more than one site in Wilson County. Beaman plans to write up a report of his findings for the sesquicentennial celebration. He'll also have an expert in Native American pottery examine the shards that were found in Wilson to double check the search's findings. However, he said the search should continue to provide more conclusive evidence. The next step, he said, would be to go below the surface of these fields and see what can be learned. "Excavation could yield more knowledge." PRE-TUSCARORA TIMELINE Most archaeologists believe that the first people in the North Carolina coastal plain were Clovis people who arrived around 10,000 B.C. At that time, the climate here was similar to upstate New York. Around 8,000 B.C., the climate warmed up, changing the culture of the people who lived here. This is called the Woodland period. People lived near the confluence of streams, but they also had many temporary sites where they would stay while they hunted. They hunted animals that still live here, such as deer, turkeys, bears and opossums. They also gathered acorns, nuts and berries and went to the coast to fish. About 1000 B.C., their culture changed again. They began living in permanent settlements and farming as well as sending out hunting parties. They made and used pottery. "We know virtually nothing about these people at a time when their lives were changing dramatically," said Beaman. After 300 B.C., the culture changed again. Permanent villages were located along streams.

06-12-2006, 05:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
Blackbear Space Cowboy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,622	darn tootin someone would find that interesting... ME! Nya-weh!! It was a very good read and reminded me of some things that I had forgotten about. __________________ Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

06-12-2006, 02:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
lostsalt One more push-up,Please! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: where the missouri & kaw rivers meet Posts: 319	Thanks GJJudd, I appreaciate that as well. __________________ "Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is." JW

06-12-2006, 10:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
Blackbear Space Cowboy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,622	That's the thing.. alot of people there are descended from tuscarora or have some in their lineage, but there's several wanting to call themselves nations .. they are'nt nations. __________________ Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

06-13-2006, 04:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
Blackbear Space Cowboy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,622	It's a long heated story Lostsalt... there are members here that would tell you they have proof to make you think differntly ... and there's me that says that their information is only half represented with much omitted. Anyhow, if you want to know more about their opinion you could do a search in this area of the forum for tuscarora and lumbee and read up. __________________ Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

06-12-2006, 02:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
Privateer6 Like my new toy? Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cylon occupied North Carolina Posts: 775	No problem. I live in Wilson, NC which is on/near the old Toisnot village. Infact there is a Toisnot Swamp, Toisnot Creek, and Toisnot Middle School. When I see something interesting, I post. In reference to previous posts on the Tuscarora land claim in Elm City, NC, everything is still pending.

06-12-2006, 08:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
Privateer6 Like my new toy? Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cylon occupied North Carolina Posts: 775	Lostsalt, If memory serves me correct, one of the links below covers the article I believe, A group of Tuscarora from the Lumberton area, as a way to get around the federal law saying that all Indians in the county are Lumbee, went ahead and purchased 10 acres of land in Wilson County, NC. The hired lawyers and are trying to get recognized. Ok here is the link below Attorneys Join Tuscarora Case Hope this helps.