River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 25 Archeology of the John H. Kerr Reservoir Basin, Roanoke River Virginia-North Carolina

During the period from February 14 to May 1, 1947, a preliminary archaeological reconnaissance was made of the John H. Kerr (formerly Buggs Island) Reservoir area in Mecklenburg, Halifax, and Charlotte Counties, in Virginia, and Varren, Vance, and Granville Counties, in North Carolina, by the River Basin Surveys of the Smithsonian Institution (Miller, 1947). The work was done at the request of the National Park Service, which, in turn, cooperated with the United States Corps of Engineers in making studies of the reservoir projects. This project was carried on as one phase of the general salvage program of the River Basin Surveys, Smithsonian Institution. The primary purpose of this reconnaissance was to locate all archeological sites, or as many as possible, within the reservoir limits; to appraise their informational values; and to determine which of them covered the entire archeological range. The original sites were located by means of inquiry and exploration. Investigations were limited, for the most part, to surface examination, to testing, and to the examination of various local collections.