Potomac Creek, 44ST2

Potomac Creek, or 44ST2, is a late Native American village located on the Potomac River in Stafford County, Virginia. It is from the Woodland Period and dates from 1300 to 1550. There is another Potomac Creek site, 44ST1 or Indian Point, which was occupied by the Patawomeck during the historic period and is where Captain John Smith visited. This site no longer exists, as it eroded away into the river. Site 44ST2 has five ossuaries, one individual burial, and one multiple burial. Other names for the site are Potowemeke and Patawomeke. The defining features include distinctive ceramics, ossuary burials, and palisade villages.

Occupation at Potomac Creek can be split into three stages entitled “Uncomfortable Immigrants”, “A Flourishing Tidewater Culture”, and “Maturity and Change” and describe the cultural transformation that occurred. These people were anxious to defend their cultural distinctiveness and their territory from neighbors and built a compact, well-fortified village.

The site’s original occupation is radiocarbon dated to around 1300 AD. From architectural remains it is seen that the village was fortified by a wall and also a ditch or moat indicating protection was a concern for these people. The earliest part of the village appears to be the outmost palisade wall that goes around the entire perimeter. There are multiple bastions on this outside wall. Evidence shows there were multiple palisade walls. These are believed to have occurred in sets to form a more imposing barrier and to create complex entryways. The outside diameter of the village was about 85 meters and had interior of about 5,675 m². The estimated maximum number that could comfortably reside within the full interior is roughly 250-300 persons.

This stage of the village began in AD 1400 and lasted until ca. 1560. The size of the enclosed area decreased during this time. The size of the enclosed space was 74 meters in diameter, with an overall interior space of 4,300 m². It seems that the site did not serve as a residence for many people any longer but had a specific purpose. The lack of bastions and ditch reinforcement probably signals a relaxation of defensive concerns. Ossuary 2 is southeast of the structure in the village and could date to this stage. A building in the center of the complex is believed to be the principal structure at this time. Ossuaries 3 and 5 are adjacent to this structure and are also interpreted as part of this period of use.