WEAPEMEOC SHORES: THE LOSS OF TRADITIONAL MARITIME CULTURE AMONG THE WEAPEMEOC INDIANS by Whitney R. Petrey April, 2014 Director of Thesis: Larry Tise, PhD Major Department: Maritime Studies The Weapemeoc were an Indian group of the Late Woodland Period through the Early Colonial Period (1400 A.D.-1780 A.D.) that went through significant cultural change as they were displaced from their traditional maritime subsistence resources. The Weapemeoc were located in what is today northeastern North Carolina. Their permanent villages were located along the northern shore of Albemarle Sound, with seasonal and temporary villages on the outer banks and upriver on the several tributaries that drain to the Albemarle Sound. Weapemeoc access to maritime resources would be altered significantly by European colonization and settlement in the area. The loss of maritime subsistence, maritime communication and maritime mentality resulted in the loss of the traditional culture of the Weapemeoc Indians and their seeming disappearance as a distinct group of people. Early historical records and maps illustrate the acculturation of the Weapemeoc and the loss of traditional maritime culture. As land was sold to settlers in prime areas along rivers and along the shore of the Albemarle Sound, Weapemeoc were displaced from their seasonal procurement sites and seasonal permanent villages. By 1704, a reservation was established by the colonial government for the Weapemeoc along Indiantown Creek. By 1780, the Weapemeoc lived in such a similar fashion as their neighbors of European descent that they are no longer distinguishable in the archaeological or historical record. WEAPEMEOC SHORES: THE LOSS OF TRADITIONAL MARITIME CULTURE AMONG THE WEAPEMEOC INDIANS A Thesis Presented To the Faculty of the Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts In Maritime Studies by Whitney R. Petrey April, 2014 © Whitney R. Petrey, 2014 WEAPEMEOC SHORES: THE LOSS OF TRADITIONAL MARITIME CULTURE AMONG THE WEAPEMEOC INDIANS by Whitney R. Petrey APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ______________________________________________________________________ Larry Tise, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________________ Christopher A. Oakley, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ Angela Thompson, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ John J. Mintz, MA CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: _________________________________________________________________ Gerald J. Prokopowicz, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ___________________________________________________ Paul J. Gemperline, PhD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Cameron, Theresa, LK, Jennifer, Jessica, Nicole, Robyn, Shannon, Serena, Kim and Ryan. It really does take a village and this thesis would not have been possible without you. I also want to thank the staff of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology for their support during this process, especially John Mintz and Dolores Hall. I want to express my gratitude to my committee advisor, Dr. Tise, and my thesis committee for their continued support and guidance throughout this process. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................. 6 Research Design...................................................................................................................... 11 Theory ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................. 28 Area of Interest Description .................................................................................................... 28 Ecosystems .............................................................................................................................. 29 Subsistence Resources ............................................................................................................ 33 Shorelines and Erosion ........................................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 4: CULTURAL PERIODS AND COLINGTON PHASE ARCHAEOLOGY ......... 42 Paleoindian, Archaic, and Woodland Periods......................................................................... 43 Colington Phase Material Culture ........................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER 5: HISTORIC PHASE FROM HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS ................................... 89 Contact: 1584-1653 ................................................................................................................. 89 Cultural Exchange: 1653-1704 ............................................................................................... 98 Acculturation: 1704-1740 ..................................................................................................... 122 Assimilation: 1740-1790 ....................................................................................................... 161 CHAPTER 6: HISTORIC PHASE ARCHAEOLOGY .............................................................. 184 CHAPTER 7: INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS ............................................................. 199 Areas for future research ....................................................................................................... 202 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 204 ARCHIVAL REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 206 MAP REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 206 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 208 APPENDIX A: EDIBLE MARITIME SPECIES BY ENVIRONMENT .................................. 222 LIST OF FIGURES 1. 1590 Theodor de Bry, Weapemeoc Territory. .......................................................................... 12 2. Area of Interest (AOI). .............................................................................................................. 13 3. 1640 Dutch copy of Hondius and Mercator. ............................................................................. 13 4. River Basins of North Carolina (NCDENR). ........................................................................... 32 5.Site 31CK22. (Photo by John Krizmanich, 2010). .................................................................... 39 6. Baum Site Erosion (Phelps 1980:10). ....................................................................................... 40 7. Image illustrating erosion at Roanoke Island (Dolan and Bosserman 1972:425). ................... 41 8. Projectile Point Chronology (NCDCR). ................................................................................... 44 9. Cultural Periods and Phases in Eastern North Carolina............................................................ 45 10. Settlement Patterns (Binford 1961:81, 83). ............................................................................ 51 11. Colington phase ceramics: a-d, fabric impressed rims; e-f, incised and punctuated over fabric impressed; g, cord-wrapped dowel over fabric impressed; h, chevron-shaped cord wrapped dowel impressed rim; i. Colington plain; j, Colinton simple stamped (Phelps 1984a:45). ......................................................................................................................... 53 12. 37 foot canoe (Phelps 1989:3). ............................................................................................... 57 13. Cross Section (Shomette 1993:18).......................................................................................... 58 14. Recorded Colington Phase Sites. ............................................................................................ 67 15. Verrazzano’s plausible route depicted in red (Google Earth). ................................................ 70 16. Original Sketch, John White 1585. ......................................................................................... 72 17. A key to John White's Sketch Map, 1585. .............................................................................. 72 18. Key detail to John White's Sketch Map, 1585. ....................................................................... 72 19. 1586 John White detail. .......................................................................................................... 74 20. 1590 Theodor de Bry. ............................................................................................................