Appalchian State team uncovers ancient Native American campsite in NC

BOONE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Appalachian State University archaeologists have discovered an early Native American campsite right under a vegetable garden at the university’s Blackburn Vannoy Estate and Farm in Ashe County.

According to App State, the site was uncovered during a summer dig led by Dr. Alice Wright, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology.

Among the finds were stone tools, pottery pieces, a fire hearth, and a storage pit…all pointing to a place where people once gathered, cooked, and lived.

Wright said one of the most exciting artifacts was a sharpened quartz point, likely broken during a hunt and later reused as a tool for scraping animal hides.

The items reportedly date back as far as 8,000 years, covering the late Archaic to Woodland periods. Wright believes people kept returning to this spot because of its rich soil, nearby stream, and close access to the New River. For more details on this dig, please click here.