"By the River Potomac:" A Historic Resource Study of Fort Hunt Park
Laird MR. 2000. "By the River Potomac:" A Historic Resource Study of Fort Hunt Park. Historic Resource Study. National Park Service. Washington, D.C.
The story of human occupation in the vicinity of Fort Hunt Park begins more than 8,000 years ago. Over the past 30 years, archaeologists have identified the remains of sites dating to the prehistoric Archaic Period along the Potomac River shoreline between Fort Hunt and Little Hunting Creek. Coinciding with the end of the Pleistocene epoch, this period witnessed a dramatic change both in climate and natural resources, with warmer, drier conditions spawning a greater diversity of food types. In turn, the local human population adapted to the changing environment by developing new strategies of subsistence that emphasized seasonal mobility. Organized in small bands, the Archaic peoples of Virginia’s coastal plain appear to have congregated in base camps for part of the year, then moved across the landscape at other times to exploit seasonal food sources. The junction of Little Hunting Creek and the Potomac River would have proved an ideal setting for such temporary prehistoric campsites, and archaeological evidence confirms that native peoples came to this area regularly over many centuries.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Laird, Matthew
- Date of Issue
- 2000-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GWMP , HIST , NCR
- Keywords
- Fort Hunt Park, George Washington, Historic Resource Study, history program, Organization, Potomac River, resource study, Resources
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Cultural Landscapes | Cultural Landscapes