Prehistoric hunters and gatherers traveled this land more than 10,000 years ago, and later Native Americans settled here about A.D. 800. Evidence recovered by the Archaeological Society of Virginia in 1977 indicates that Indians camped at the site intermittently for about 8,000 years, with final use uncertain and possibly as late as A.D. 1600. During the Archaic Period, from 8000 B.C. to 1100 B.C., a complex forest ecosystem offered diverse resources, and from 6000 B.C. to 4000 B.C. Native people hunted a variety of animals and gathered wild plants. During the Woodland Period, from 1100 B.C. to A.D. 1600, settlements became more permanent, pottery came into widespread use, plant collection intensified, burial practices grew more elaborate, trade between clans in different areas became more formalized, and from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1600 Native Americans began living in complex villages as population increased.