Abstract

People have altered their landscape since the beginning of time, oftentimes starting along a river which provided them with water, food, agriculture, transportation, and much more. The Maury River in Rockbridge County, Virginia has a complex history of stewards, from the Monacan Indian Nation to early settlers, to post-industrial Euro-Americans. Each group that has lived along the river has had a different and unique world view, or ontology, which is intrinsically tied to how they view/treat the land. This research utilizes archaeological theory along with geologic and archaeological methods including radiocarbon dates, grain size analysis, historical data, and others to create a cohesive picture of the past land use and its impact on the Maury River. The samples used in this Independent Study were collected by the Keck Geology Consortium from numerous dam sites, including the focus of this study, Jordan’s Point Dam. Results from the tests ran on the sediment results in numeric data which can then be correlated with land changes and practices, and the surroundings archaeological work adds crucially to understanding the past and present communities. The Maury River has had stewards from many different cultures throughout the last millennia which have all affected the river in various ways which I explore in my discussion of data within three major periods of occupation: Indigenous occupation, settler occupation, and modern occupation. This study is not the final piece in this research, rather an example of how connecting communities and their knowledge can help heal relationships both between communities but also with the landscape.

Advisor

Navarro-Farr, Olivia

Second Advisor

Lyon, Eva

Department

Archaeology; Geology

Disciplines

Archaeological Anthropology | Geology

Keywords

river, land use, ontology, sediments

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Ryann Taylor