Little Compton in Newport County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
13,000 YEARS
| | Awashonks Garden | |
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, July 26, 2026
1. 13,000 Years Marker
This sculpture shows the present-day Sakonnet shoreline and an approximation of the shoreline 13,000 years ago.
Archaeological evidence and Wampanoag tradition tell us that people have lived at Sakonnet continuously since the end of the last ice age, 13,000 years ago. About 3,000-4,000 years ago, rising water levels created the shoreline we know today. The oldest Sakonnet homesites are now underwater, nearly a mile out to sea.
The Sakonnets cultivated the area's rich soil, managed its woodlands, and fished the rivers and the sea to support themselves for thousands of years. Their practices changed over time to adapt to their changing environment and to the new foods and technologies brought here by a vast trade network. Approximately 3,000 Wampanoag people lived at Sakonnet before European diseases, war, and encroachment decreased their numbers.
Markley Boyer & Kevin Baker, Artists
B#110
Erected 2025 by Little Compton Rhode Island. (Marker Number 110.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities
this page online
Location. 41° 29.573′ N, 71° 11.093′ W. Marker is in Little Compton, Rhode Island, in Newport County. It can be reached from West Main Road (Rhode Island Route 77), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 548 West Main Road, Little Compton RI 02837, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wilbor House (within shouting distance of this marker); Stone Walls (within shouting distance of this marker); Distrust for the Newcomers (within shouting distance of this marker); Three Sisters: A Symbiotic Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Honoring Awashonks
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, July 26, 2026
2. 13,000 YEARS Marker (wide)
Also see . . . Awashonks Garden Exhibit #110. Sea-level Map: Sakonnet Today and 13,000 Years Ago (Submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, July 26, 2026
3. 13,000 YEARS Sculpture
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, July 26, 2026
4. Awashonks Garden Entrance
The entrance to Awanshonks Garden is behind the Wilbor House on the Little Compton Historical Society grounds.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 29, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
