Where the Water is Shallow and the Current is Strong: Stone Fish Weirs of the Eastern Woodlands

August 17, 2021

Though often overlooked, stone fish weirs are relatively common archaeological features in many swift-flowing rivers and streams above the fall-line across the eastern United States. Often seen as "V" or "W"-shaped stone alignments, these highly efficient fishing structures were used extensively throughout the pre-colonial and historic periods, some potentially dating back millennia and represent an important part of our cultural landscape.

For a variety of reasons, stone fish weirs have received only intermittent attention from the archaeological community and are rarely the focus of systematic surveys. New improvements in the quality and accessibility of satellite-based imagery, like Google Earth, have made the identification and recording of fish weir sites possible on a regional scale.

Join Dr. David Crandford for his presentation to learn about the many different types of fish weirs that can be found world-wide and how their shapes help determine where they are located. Learn about archaeological approaches to studying fish weir sites and hear about some of the initial findings and insights of the North Carolina Fish Weir Archaeological Project that has documented more than 800 potential fish weirs.