VERMONT ARCHEOLOGY

What kinds of archeological sites do we have in Vermont?

Vermont has a remarkably rich and diverse archeological heritage that spans 12,000 years of human history. The sites range from 12,000 year old Native American campsites used by the earliest Vermonters - called the Paleo-Indians, to revolutionary war shipwrecks, from 12th century Native American farming sites (the earliest known in northern New England), to abandoned 19th century mining communities. More typical are the hundreds of long deserted 19th century farmsteads with their tell tale cellar holes and stone walls, and the small, largely invisible, Native American seasonal campsites that span both the very long period of prehistory and the shorter period of recorded history.

Consider that thousands of Native Americans lived in what is now Vermont for 12,000 years; that each of those years spanned the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall -- much as we know them today; that a full range of living activities occurred during each season; and that many of these activities left behind a tangible record in the soil. From this perspective we can begin to get a glimpse of the number and variety of Native American sites that may exist in Vermont. Vermont has a very rich store of archeological sites from the last 300 years, representing long forgotten stories of exploration and war, relations with the native occupants, early settlement, industry and commerce, tourism, many aspects of transportation history, and the unwritten stories of minority communities (about Native Americans in particular, but also black Americans).more