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Wayland Uncovered: Archaeological Evidence of our First Residents

Wayland Uncovered: Archaeological Evidence of Our First Residents

On Saturday, October 19, at 2 p.m., Wayland’s own archaeologist, Tonya Largy, well known among her New England colleagues, will bring her expertise to us in the Large Hearing Room, at the Wayland Town Building.  Native Americans came into what is now Wayland sometime after the glacier receded approximately 12,000 years ago.  Since 1978, five excavations of pre-contact sites have been carried out.  These excavations gathered more than thirty radiocarbon dates.  The oldest actual radiocarbon date on record is 6680+/-170 years ago.  However, artifacts recovered from these sites represent periods going back to 8,000 years ago.  Some of these artifacts will be on display and will be discussed in this lecture.  One pre-colonial site, excavated over a twenty-eight year  period under a state permit from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, produced radiocarbon dates indicating that Native people continued to live here for thousands of years, until the arrival of Europeans.  Native American graves in the Old North Cemetery are being studied to determine if they might date to the early colonial period. 

The Wayland Historical Society and the Historical Commission are proud to co-sponsor this event.  Refreshments will be provided. 

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