natural history
Stepping back into Loudoun ’ s prehistory
by travis shaw
When we study the people of the past , the vast majority of what we learn comes from written documents . Deeds , letters , ledgers , and journals are just a few of the sources that historians can turn to . What do we do , however , when there aren ’ t any written records ? Many of our predecessors left scant records of their day-to-day activities . One of the best ways to place them into our historical narrative is through archaeology , because everyone leaves material evidence and impacts the landscape . This is particularly important for studying the indigenous people that inhabited the Loudoun Valley before European contact .
Broadly speaking , pre-contact Native history is divided into three periods . The earliest , known as the Paleoindian period , began at least 18,000 years ago and continued up to around 8000 BC . The world of the Paleoindians was much colder and less verdant than ours , as the vast polar ice sheets slowly receded . The Virginia of the Paleoindian period more closely resembled sub-Arctic Canada or Alaska than our current climate , and the landscape was dominated by megafauna . Mammoths , shortfaced bears , dire wolves , and giant
Image of the Thunderbird site in the late 20th century , with a recreated dwelling . ( Photo courtesy of Virginia DHR )
beavers were just a few of the now extinct species that shared the land with the first Virginians .
The people of this era lived in family bands that ranged over large distances hunting game . Larger temporary gatherings occurred , particularly at sites that provided natural resources . Two of the most important Paleoindian sites in Virginia are located at nearby Thoroughfare Gap and the Thunderbird site near Front Royal . Groups would quarry stone for making tools , and likely also shared information and found mates during these seasonal gatherings . Archaeologists at Thunderbird also discovered a number of post holes indicating a structure nearly 10,000 years old , providing evidence for one of the oldest man-made structures in the western hemisphere .
As the landscape and climate changed , the Paleoindian period gave way to the Archaic Period ( ca . 8000 BC-1000 BC ). Retreating glaciers and gradual warming allowed Native people to settle into a semi-nomadic lifestyle . Limited agriculture and fishing began to augment hunter-gatherer sustenance . As sea levels rose , Natives moved into tidewater areas to harvest shellfish and other resources . Societies became more complex as people began living together in larger groups , and wide-ranging trade networks formed .
Around 1000 BC the Archaic Period gave way to the Woodland Period , the final period of pre-contact Native civilization in Virginia . The creation of pottery , widespread adoption of agriculture , trade networks stretching thousands of miles , and increasingly elaborate social hierarchies developed during this period . Larger villages were es-
44 wander I fall • winter 2022