Buffalo Indian Village Site facts for kids

The Buffalo Indian Village Site is an old place in West Virginia, near a town called Buffalo. It's right by the Kanawha River. Long, long ago, different groups of Native Americans lived here. These groups included people from the Archaic, Middle Woodland, and Fort Ancient cultures. This site is very important because it was one of the first places in West Virginia where archaeologists carefully studied ancient villages. It was added to a special list of historic places in 1971.

Around the years 1640 to 1730, many Native American villages in this area were left empty. It's possible that nearby Iroquois Nations caused some pressure because of the fur trade. The arrival of European diseases might have also played a part. But the full reasons are still a bit of a mystery to researchers.

Digging Up the Past: Archaeology

Between 1963 and 1965, a scientist named Dr. Edward McMichael led digs at this site. He worked for the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. The oldest part of the village dates back to around 1170 to 1275 CE. A later village was built around 1651 to 1680 CE.

These two villages were built by the Fort Ancient people. They nearly overlapped and had more than forty houses. Dr. McMichael mostly studied the later village, which is also called the Downstream village.

What Archaeologists Found

When they dug at the Downstream village, they found many interesting things. These included fire pits, cooking areas, and places where people stored food or threw away trash. The Native Americans at this site lived in large, rectangular houses. These homes had rounded corners. They were often about twenty feet wide and thirty feet long. Fire pits were usually found inside the houses. The houses were built around a central open space, and a log fence surrounded the village.

Archaeologists also found the remains of 562 people buried at the Buffalo Village site. Most were found in the Downstream village. Many people were buried right under the floors of their houses. Others were buried in simple pits around the village. One person was buried in a special stone box grave. This might mean they were very important.

Studies showed that about 41% of the buried people were male and 59% were female. Thirteen individuals had arrowheads in their bodies that came from other places. This suggests that battles or raids happened in this area.

Many people were buried with special items. These included necklaces and pendants made from seashells, pottery bowls, and cups made from turtle shells. They also had various tools and ornaments. Some of these items were made of European brass and copper. This shows that the Fort Ancient people traded with Europeans.

Evidence of Connections

Archaeologists found a special Buffalo Mask and fancy seashell necklaces. These items show that the Fort Ancient people had contact with the Late Mississippian culture. This culture was part of something called the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. It was similar to cultures found in eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia.

The older village at Buffalo did not have pottery with legs or lizard shapes on the rims. It also didn't have the fancy crafted items found in the later village. However, the pottery from the older village was made with crushed shells mixed in. Later, they found that corn cobs were used to shape the pottery.

Daily Life at Buffalo Village

The Fort Ancient people at Buffalo Village were skilled farmers. They grew corn, squash, and beans in their gardens. They also gathered wild foods like walnuts, hazelnuts, plums, and cherries.

Because they lived by the river, they could fish and collect mussels. They also hunted animals using bows and arrows. They hunted white-tailed deer, black bears, squirrels, and wild turkeys.

Small, domesticated dogs also lived at the site. These dogs probably helped with hunting and protecting the village. Sometimes, they might have also been a source of food.

Tools and Jewelry

The people at Buffalo Village used materials from their surroundings to make tools and jewelry. They used shells from local mussels for tools and ornaments. Animal bones and shells were attached to tree branches to make hoes for their gardens.

Animal bones were also shaped into useful tools. These included sharp tools called awls, punches, fish hooks, needles for sewing, and tools for scraping animal hides. For jewelry, they made beads, hair pins, pendants, tinklers, and shell gorgets. These were also made from both bone and shell. Gourds from their gardens and turtle shells were used to make rattles for ceremonies.

Buffalo Village Today

In the early 1800s, a family led by Joab Early took over this area. They turned it into farmland. As new buildings and projects happen around Putnam County, West Virginia, more Native American remains and artifacts are sometimes found.

Today, there is a historical marker along Route 62 near Buffalo, West Virginia. It tells a short story about the Buffalo Indian Village Site and the archaeological digs that happened there.