The First People on Jones Point

The First People on Jones Point. In Pursuit of Fur, Fish and Fowl. Archaeological evidence indicates that humans have occupied the Potomac River Valley for over 13,000 years and Jones Point for almost 9,000 years. Attracted by the rich resources of Hunting Creek marsh, indigenous people built temporary structures to serve as seasonal hunting and fishing camps. At the time of European contact, several established American Indian villages were nearby: Namoraughquend (between today's Pentagon and Theodore Roosevelt Island) and Assaomeck, Namassingakent, and Tauxenent (downriver)., 11,000 BC-8,000 BC , Paleo-Indian Period , Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers , As the last Ice Age was ending, early hunters migrated in small bands, pursuing large game, gathering plants and setting up temporary camps along rivers in locations with plentiful supplies of natural materials for tools and food., Quartz Flakes , Thousands of quartz flakes found at Jones Point document stone tool-making from river cobbles., 8,000-1,200 BC , Archaic Period , Temporary Hunting and Fishing Camps , During this period of warming climates, fertile floodplains formed along rivers, attracting seasonal settlements of two or three families. Native peoples hunted smaller game, added various seeds, shoots, roots, and berries to their diet, stored extra foodstuffs and formed bowls of soapstone., Stone Tools , Stone tools indicate that native peoples visited this increasingly rich marine environment to hunt, fish, and gather plant material., 1,200 BC-1,600 AD , Woodland Period , Permanent Farming Villages , Pottery-making traditions emerged and small villages formed, characterized by farming, assigned work tasks, and more elaborate social structure. Since homes were permanent, village construction patterns became more complex., Soil Markings and Fire-Cracked Rock , Soil stains mark the locations of decayed wood posts, probably from small oval-shaped dwellings, and related food storage pits. Large quantities of fire-cracked rock from hearths were found at a refuse pit near one of the dwellings.