University of North Carolina Chapel Hill archaeologists announced last Thursday the discovery of two Catawba settlements known as “Old Town” and “New Town.” The archaeologists and their students found a number of log cabins containing coins dating as far back as 1769, distinguished Catawba pottery, and military and census records documenting the tribe’s involvement with the American Army during the Revolutionary War. Catawba members, many of whom still reside in the area, are excited by the discovery, hoping to use the new information to trace their family histories. The archaeologists are equally excited to investigate the community’s past while observing the changes and continuities that have shaped the modern Catawbas.
