Theodore Roosevelt Island is a small part of the much larger Potomac River Valley, an area that has been used by people for over 15,000 years. Archeology has long been used to better understand human life and communities not recorded in the written record, with evidence of thousands of years of human occupation on Theodore Roosevelt Island literally written in the earth. Archeological investigations here show that different groups of people from eastern North America settled in this part of the Potomac River Valley as long as 13,000 years ago and that the earliest people moved in and out, probably only staying in a region for a few days or weeks at a time before moving on. [1] During these earliest years of human activity, the island didn’t exist—it was connected to shore because sea level was 300 feet lower than what it is today. [2] It wasn’t until 13,000 years ago that the climate began to warm and glacial melt raised sea levels creating the Potomac River Valley. With this warming climate, different plants and animals that were able to support early hunter-gatherers. The first archeological record for human activity at Theodore Roosevelt Island comes from excavated projectile points that are about 9000 years old. [3] Early people on the island were most likely staying for short amounts of time to fish, hunt animals (deer, turkey, duck, rabbit), collect shellfish, and harvest plants (such as forest nuts provided by oak-hickory forests at this time) before moving to a new location for the same purpose. During much of this early human occupation of the island there is very little evidence of large or permanent settlements. Instead, these early people made “base camps” that would serve as home while they harvested food and other resources in the area before moving on to a new location. Archeologists suspect that these kinds of settlements were revisited time and again over generations as part of seasonal subsistence activities, as evident by recent archeological work along the Rappahannock river. [4] 
NPS After this early period of human activity at the island, people of the Savannah River Culture migrated from present-day Georgia and South Carolina into the Potomac River Valley around 2000 B.C.E. (about 4000 years ago). These groups brought with them distinct materials such as projectile points and soapstone bowls not previously seen in the area. Soapstone is not a naturally occurring rock on Theodore Roosevelt Island but has been found on the island from this time period suggesting that the Savannah River Culture people used this island, probably as a main hunting camp. Soapstone used by these people was most likely sourced from ancient quarries located in nearby Washington, D.C. and throughout the Piedmont region of Virginia. Following soapstone bowls came the first recorded use of pottery in the region around 1400 B.C.E. During this period people began to live in more permanent settlements on the banks of rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, while still using Theodore Roosevelt Island as a base camp for hunting deer and turkey. These trends would continue throughout much of the history of this area with the peak of population at Theodore Roosevelt Island coming during the Middle Woodland Period (700 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E.). In fact, archeologists think these were the largest recorded settlements at the island until after the American Revolution. After the Middle Woodland period the island saw a decline in human settlement. During the Late Woodland Period (1000 to 1607 C.E.), large permanent settlements are documented throughout the Potomac Valley, but located away from Theodore Roosevelt Island. It was at this time that many of the tribes in the region were organized. These tribes included the Powhatan coalition in Virginia and the Piscataway and Nanticoke in Maryland. One of the theories archeologists have that explains this lack of human occupation in the region surrounds the status of the falls of the Potomac River serving as a border between different Native American villages. Another theory states that ecological reasons could explain the absence of settlements in this area. [4] During this time, these settlements were getting larger and larger because of the introduction of maize agriculture. Maize (corn) is a plant native to Mexico that was introduced in this area, providing a more secure source of food which allowed these settlements to grow and become more socially stratified. By the time the first Europeans arrived in this area, settlements were big enough that more complex political relationships emerged to navigate issues between villages, an example of what archeologists call a ranked society. For example, John Smith’s map of the Chesapeake Bay Area from 1607 and 1608 records the settlements of Namoraughquend and Nacotchtanck located near Theodore Roosevelt Island. 
Library of Congress This map marked the beginning of a new era for Native American occupation in the Potomac valley. John Smith and other Europeans were part of the English colonization of what is now Virginia. Their encroachment on Indigenous land disrupted the economies and social structures of Virginia tribes, causing increased conflicts and violence. While some Native Americans moved further west, many stayed on their ancestral lands and endured oppression by these newcomers and struggled to retain their cultural heritage. Many native people still live in the Potomac valley today. In Virginia, there are eleven state-recognized tribes, seven of which are also federally-recognized. Sources:
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Last updated: May 23, 2024