University of Virginia Library

Softsoap Indians

Though Mr. Jefferson was an
archaeologist himself, very
little attention has been given
the subject in Virginia,
according to Mr. Holland. To
remedy this situation, the
University has provided
finances for the new laboratory
and is allowing the
anthropology division of the
Department of Sociology and
Anthropology to become a
separate entity beginning next
academic year.

"We appreciate the
generosity and foresight of the
University in recognizing the
need for studying Virginia's
prehistory," commented
archaeologist Michael A.
Hoffman, who has been at the
University for one year.

Trying to determine the
character of Virginia Indians
from 8000 B.C. to 1700 A.D.
is the main undertaking of the
University archaeologists,
Little attention has been given
to the history of Virginia
Indians, said Mr. Hoffman,
because, "we have lacked
facilities and a base where
research could be carried on."

Previously, almost all
archaeological knowledge of
Virginia has been through the
efforts and discoveries of
amateurs.

Mr. Holland, himself the
discoverer of over 600 Indian
sites in Virginia, explained the
process of finding sites: "We
try to look in exposed areas
like a big, plowed field. We also
look in old rock shelters,
mouths of caves and in roads
which are being dug up.

"Quartz chips are the easiest
evidence to find indicating an
Indian site. Indians used quartz
for many of their tools and
weapons."

After finding evidence that
there was an Indian site,
excavators examine more
closely for pottery, bones and
other artifacts.

To reconstruct pre-historical
trade patterns, fourth-year man
Alvin Luckenbach is currently

carrying on extensive research
in conjunction with Dr. Ralph
O. Allen of the chemistry
department.

Before using pottery,
Indians used soft soapstone for
their containers. Soapstone
quarries dating to 1500 B.C.
have been located in Virginia.
Through a chemical technique
to trace rare elements in rock,
Mr. Luckenbach is attempting
to determine the correlation
between the quarries and the
soapstone found on Indian
sites.

Both Mr. Holland and Mr.
Hoffman take their classes on
field trips to obtain practical
experience in excavation.
Several classes have spotted
Indian sites where they have
found various weapons and
pottery.

Though the archaeologists
put their emphasis on
pre-historical (or pre-literate)
Virginia, they are also
interested in excavating
artifacts which he collected a
few years ago when a trench
was being dug on the East
Range. Specimens consist of
liquor bottles, a marble, and
pieces of coal which indicates
that residents did not use wood
in earlier days.