The Hatteras Project: Late Woodland Settlement and Assimilation on the Outer Banks NC

Summary

Hatteras island is one of the few stable landforms on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and archaeological survey and excavation over many years has located numerous sites particularly from the Middle and Late Woodland. Our research which commenced in 2009, and has continued annually since then, has added to this archaeological record, though a community based approach, that has enabled us to work on private property and conduct over 80 test pits and excavations. The results show that Hatteras island had a long term and stable population, exploiting an exceptionally rich environment that was offered by the island’s ecology and adjacent Sound. Most famously, Hatteras is well known for the destination of the ‘Lost Colonists’ of the 1587 expedition. The 17th-18th century archaeology of the island is of particular importance is trying to understand when there was assimilation of the English colonists into this community, and whether it was able to display a distinctive features through the fusion of Native american and European technologies, within an isolated community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage