On an elevated terrace overlooking the fertile banks of the New River, 13 aspiring archaeologists from Appalachian State University are meticulously examining the former flood plain’s top soil in effort to search for links to Ashe County’s ancient past.

Slowly but surely the students sift through the ground’s plow zone unearthing fragments from spear points and stone tools believed to have been used by a migratory Native American tribe known as the Siouan which consists of various language tribes including the Catawba along with some other western Piedmont sects.

Dr. Thomas Whyte, a professor of archaeology and zoo archaeology at ASU, said that he and his students make the half-hour trip from Boone daily to complete the six hour four week archaeological field course that he believes will “make or break” the students in terms of whether or not they will pursue a career in archaeology. The course is the students’ first real “hands on” class in which they have the opportunity to participate in a real life dig and it will help them determine on an individual basis if archaeology is the career they want to pursue.

Whyte, who has orchestrated countless digs in both Ashe and Watauga counties, said the decision to examine the terrace on the south fork of the New River stemmed in part from the site’s geographical features. He said that elevated surface would have most likely attracted migratory camping tribes who would have inhabited the grounds for a short period of time before moving on to another suitable location. Whyte said the site’s proximity to the river would have also caught the eye of passing camping tribes travelling through the area. The presence of Rhyolite and flint, believed by Whyte to have originated in Mt. Rogers and eastern Tennessee respectively, suggests to Whyte that the tribe was in fact migratory and were passing through the river valley.

This particular ‘dig’, Whyte said, could have took place at a thousand similar locations in Ashe but the final decision to begin excavating the terrace was influenced largely by the generosity of landowner Anna Bell Harold who allowed the team of eager archaeologists to begin searching the area for clues to pre-history life in the New River Valley. Once they had gained Harold’s permission, Whyte then used a grant to pay an East Carolina University student to use a ground penetrating radar antenna to search the top soil for anomalies that may suggest the presence of artifacts. The antenna, which is supported by a three-wheel stroller, returns a signal if it passes over an object of interest during the initial pass over of the area. In some instances however, the antenna has returned a signal that has led to the discovery of a groundhog borough or a large rock instead of a legitimate artifact.

Students then mapped out 40-by-40 centimeter test pits to begin screening the soil for artifacts. Any topsoil gathered by the students was then taken to a dirt sifter to push away excess soil and debris in their search for artifacts. Whyte explained that the discovery of tool and pottery fragments in the terrace suggest the presence of Siouan tribes in the area as early as 9,500 years ago which coincides with the departure of mammoth ice glaciers that accompanied the last major ice age.

One particular tribe that has not been documented by Whyte during his numerous archaeological excursions in the northwest North Carolina Mountains is the Cherokee. Despite the fact that many locals believe the Cherokee to have inhabited the area prior to colonial settlements, Whyte explained that there is no physical evidence that suggest that the tribe is indigenous to the area but explained that the Cherokee did inhabit the southwest portion of the state.

Although the group was unable to uncover any evidence of pre-history Cherokee inhabitants, Whyte explained that the students have been able to take away valuable lessons from the Siouan artifacts that they were able to uncover.

“One of our main goals with this class is that they are learning how to become earth sculptors and measurers of the past.”