The "History" of Prehistory at the Reed Farmstead Site
Although the principal goal of this data recovery project is to shed light on the 19th century farming families who lived and worked at this site, it is worth discussing the small number of prehistoric Native American artifacts that have also been recovered. Phase I archaeological studies in the vicinity of the Reed Farmstead site did yield evidence for prehistoric occupation in the immediate area. Investigations identified a single locus, the Warden Meadow site, an upland lithic scatter of unknown temporal or cultural affiliation that abuts the Reed Farmstead site. The only material collected from the site consisted of 20 pieces of chipped stone that was produced during the production of stone tools at some period(s) during prehistory. The Warden
Meadow site contained no features such as hearths, storage pits, etc.As little more could be learned concerning West Virginia prehistory from this site, no further work at that location was recommended.
Phase I archaeological survey at the Reed Farmstead site produced no evidence of prehistoric Native American use or habitation. However, during subsequent Phase II level archaeological investigations at the site, 117 prehistoric artifacts were recovered. These included 16 lithic artifacts consisting of 13 pieces of stone chippage (known as debitage or flakes by archaeologists), 2 core fragments (these are defined as the original stone from which a tool was made), and a single Morrow Mountain I-type projectile point/knife attributable to the Middle - late Middle Archaic period (ca. 5305 - 4030 B.C.), as well as 101 limestone tempered, probable Page Cord-marked-type ceramic sherds and spalls (indicative of two vessels) that are most likely associated with a Late Woodland occupation (ca. A.D. 1100 - 1450) at this same location. The only datable concentration of artifacts at the Reed Farmstead site noted thus far consists of a total of 100 of the 101 pottery sherds recovered (representative of 1 pot). However, no other cultural features, such as hearths, storage pits, or post holes for example were located in the area of this clustering. As Phase II investigations ended, it was concluded that the two adjacent sites or loci, the Warden Meadow site and the prehistoric component of the Reed Farmstead site may somehow have been related given their close proximity to one another. However, this relationship is made somewhat tenuous given the lack of subsurface prehistoric features and/or potentially relatable concentrations of artifacts from either site. Additionally, the wide span in centuries between the Middle Archaic occupation and the Late Woodland occupation further muddies the water.
Recent Finds
Phase III work conducted to date has yielded an additional 54 prehistoric artifacts. These include 1 possible biface, 1 Late Archaic period Halifax-type projectile point/knife (ca. 3490 - 3100 B.C.),1 possible Bare Island-type projectile point/knife also datable to the Late Archaic period (ca. 2210 - 2050 B.C.), 1 stone bead exhibiting a drilled hole, 1 prehistoric ceramic sherd, and 49 examples of lithic debitage. None of these artifacts have been recovered from undisturbed prehistoric period deposits; the majority being recovered in mix
ed context with 19th-century artifacts related to the historic occupations of this locus. It is possible that perhaps one reason why no intact prehistoric period cultural features have been identified is due to the various farming and domestic activities that have occurred throughout much of the nineteenth century at the site. Furthermore, given the shallow nature of the sites deposits, such a scenario seems highly likely. This certainly accounts for the recovery of both prehistoric artifacts and historic artifacts in a mixed context.
What have we been able to learn so far about the prehistoric Native American peoples who used the lands where the Reed Farmstead site is located?
Prehistoric Native Americans lived at or utilized the site during three periods during prehistory - the Middle - late Middle Archaic period, the Late Archaic period, and the Late Woodland period. It is likely that these occupations were of short or limited duration as no evidence of cultural features typically associated with longer-term occupations (e.g., storage pits, structures, among other things) have been identified thus far. A more likely possibility is that these occupations represent temporary camps, possibly geared toward tool production, hunting, foraging, and/or collecting episodes. The immediate accessibility to nearby fresh water springs undoubtedly also contributed to the use of this area throughout prehistory. Finally, the proximity of these sites to larger prehistoric settlements datable to the Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, and Late Woodland periods in the nearby Baker Run/Lost River valley also may support the idea that this locus is indicative of a temporary satellite occupation.