Archeological Site No. AU-154 facts for kids
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Archeological Site No. AU-154
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Scene along the road
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Paine Run Hollow Road at the mouth of Paine Run Hollow, Grottoes, Virginia |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003171 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 13, 1985 |
Site AU-154, also known as 44-AU-154, is an important archaeological site. It is located in Shenandoah National Park in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. An archaeological site is a place where people lived or worked a long time ago. Scientists can find clues about their lives there.
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Discovering Site AU-154
This special site was found in the early 1970s. Scientists were doing a big study of Shenandoah National Park. Site AU-154 was one of fifteen ancient places they discovered along Paine Run. Other important sites found nearby include the Paine Run Rockshelter and the Blackrock Springs Site.
Where is This Ancient Place?
Site 44-AU-154 is on the south side of Paine Run. It is near where the stream comes out of a hollow. The site sits right at the edge of the national park. It is also at the bottom of the Blue Ridge mountains. This means it is in a special spot between the Shenandoah Valley and the mountains.
The site stretches about 25 meters (82 feet) from the stream to the base of the mountain. It is four times longer from east to west. When it was found, a forest road went through the middle of the site. Part of the site was on private land, and part was in the national park. About 400 meters (1,300 feet) east of the site, there are some rock outcrops. These include several rockshelters, which are like natural caves under rocks. The important Paine Run Rockshelter is among them.
What Did Archaeologists Find?
Scientists did a quick dig, called an excavation, in the road and roadside areas of the site. They found more than 2,000 artifacts. Artifacts are objects made or used by people in the past. Over 98% of these artifacts were made from local materials like jasper and quartzite. These are types of stone.
Tools and Materials
Many of the objects found were projectile points. These are the sharp tips of spears or arrows. Some of these points were like those made by the ancient Savannah River culture and Halifax culture.
How Old is the Site?
By studying the projectile points, scientists could tell how old the site is. People lived here between 3000 and 1000 BC. This time period is known as the Archaic period in North America.
Why Was This Place Important?
During that time, Site AU-154 was likely used as a semi-permanent base camp. This means people stayed there for longer periods, not just a day or two. Native Americans probably used it to get resources from both the mountains and the valley. They might have made tools there. They also processed animals they hunted or used plants found nearby.
Site AU-154 shows evidence of many different activities. Other smaller sites higher up on Paine Run were used for only one or two things. This suggests that AU-154 might have been a main meeting place. It could have been a central spot for activities happening at those smaller, single-use camps.
Why is Site AU-154 Protected?
This archaeological site is very important for understanding the past. Because of its value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 1985. The Paine Run Rockshelter and the Blackrock Springs Site were also listed at the same time.
