Exhibits
The Trigg Exhibit - Radford's First Residents
As joggers and strollers make their way along the paths at Radford’s Bisset Park, few are probably thinking of some of Radford’s first residents that have been living there more than 400 years ago. In the 1970s, a major archeaological dig excavated the remnants of an Indian village. Some of the artifacts that have been found are now part of the Trigg Exhibit at Glencoe, providing visitors with a glimpse of Indian life in this area hundreds of years ago.
The Trigg Exhibit features many
artifacts found just a few miles
from
the museum.
When in 1974 the news came that the bottom was to be graded to create Bissett Park, a team of experts and volunteers moved swiftly to get an archaeological dig underway. They started to excavate the remnants of an early Indian village, a task that would eventually take 18 months to complete.
From the century old artifacts, some of them in Glencoe’s Trigg Exhibit, a more vivid picture of these early Indians emerged. Between about 1600 and 1640 the village seems to have been home to peace-loving farmers who grew corn and fished in the New River. At the height of the settlement, about 450 people seemed to have populated the village, all of them living in 12 foot round houses, each with around eight family members inside.
The “center” of the village was moved several times, mainly due to two reasons: a steady influx of new inhabitants and the Indian custom to build new houses rather than to rebuild old ones. The population growth seems to have been a mixed blessing. The new arrivals from the South, according to an informed guess, might have brought in new diseases that decimated the locals. Even though this hypothesis is not proven, it is clear that life expectancy was low and of the 319 burials found, fifty percent were aged 12 years or younger.
Over 400 arrowhead in all shapes
and sizes illustrate the Indian way of life
Many of the found artifacts have interesting stories to tell. Glass beads and other items indicate that the Indians had trade connections with far-away tribes and even though they had never met a white settler in person, they had acquired some of their wares. Different pottery styles underline the strategic location of the village at the crossroads of important paths crossing the New River just a few miles south. Comparing the artifacts to others found elsewhere, there is also a strong indication that the people living at the Trigg site were probably somehow related to the Sioux tribe. Appropriately for Radford, the few animal bones that were found intact were mostly Bobcat legs, giving clear proof that even at this early time, the Bobcat seems to have been the object of cult-like adoration.
More Information
- Many of the artifacts found at the Trigg site are now part of the long-term exhibit "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience" at the Virginia History Museum in Richmond. Check out their extensive online exhibit and learn more about Virginia's early Indians.
- The Trigg Exhibit is a favourite with schoolchildren, learning about Native American history in the area. We offer special educational programs and tours for school classes and other groups. If you are a teacher and are interested in bringing your class, contact us!
