Arrowhead, ca. 1000
Maine Historical Society
Native American Pottery Shard, ca. 500
Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
When written evidence is not available, archaeological and geological evidence, along with oral traditions provide important clues to the past.
At left is a small piece of a ceramic vessel made during Ceramic Period 3 or 4 (300-600) that was excavated at the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site.
At right is an arrowhead that was chiseled from stone. It was found in East Machias in Washington County.
The styles of stone-carved or chipped tools and of pottery helps archaeologists and historians to determine the age of the artifacts and the life circumstances of the peoples who created them.