Mound Builders in Pocahontas

 

The sources contain information about Native American history and artifacts in Pocahontas County. Here's a summary of those findings:

• Mounds and Burial Practices: There are numerous mounds throughout Pocahontas County that contain the remains of Native Americans. These mounds are often composed of earth and stones.

  • One mound near Marlinton was about ten feet high. The remains of seven adult skeletons were removed from this mound. The skeletons had been laid in a manner indicating they were buried together.
  • At Clover Lick, there are several mounds.
  • A small mound of earth and stone is located at the mouth of Locust Creek.
  • There are a few mounds in the vicinity of Dunmore and Green Bank.
  • It's believed that some mounds may have been disturbed at an early date by white settlers. It is also believed that forests were cleared and mounds leveled by plows.

• Evidence of Campsites and Artifacts:

  • Campsites are usually near a stream or at the junction of streams, and are often marked by the presence of numerous finished and unfinished arrow points and broken periwinkle shells.
  • The larger articles and cooking utensils that mark more permanent camp sites are found in the region of the Chesapeake Bay and along the Ohio River.
  • Flint, the usual material for the manufacture of arrow points and spear heads, is available in the limestone formations of the county.
  • Thousands of arrow points and other relics have been collected from fields.
  • There is evidence that the Native Americans used fire to heat rocks for cooking.

• Native American Travel and Settlement:

  • The early settlers of the region believed that there were no permanent settlements, but rather that the region was visited by Native Americans for hunting and fishing.
  • It is believed that Native Americans traveled from the Greenbrier River and its branches and tributaries to the higher mountains.
  • The valleys of the New and Kanawha Rivers were traveled by Native Americans.
  • The area was also used by Native Americans as a "favorite resort".
  • There is a lack of early discovery of any record of early discovery bore the signs of great antiquity, being covered with an ancient growth of forest trees.

• Historical Conflicts: Early tradition suggests that battles between Native Americans took place in the area, and that those killed were buried in the mounds. It is possible that a battle occurred at the location where seven skeletons were found together. There was a belief that the mounds were evidence of earlier occupancy.

  • The Indian Draft was an offshoot of Stony Creek valley and an old Indian Trail led from Elk Mountain to the head of Elk River.
  • The tradition grew out of the fact that so many skeletons were found in one burial place.

• Other Notes:

  • Some early settlers considered the mounds to be the work of the "Indian tribes".
  • It is noted that the term "Indian mound" is still in common usage.