A 12,500 year old New Hampshire hunting camp that was used by Paleoindian people has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance as an archaeological site.

This very old encampment is now known as the “Potter Site” in Randolph NH. The Potter Site’s exact location is currently being withheld to protect the site from damage caused by visitors. State archaeologists have been hard at work excavating the Potter Site for quite some time.

The State Department of Natural & Cultural Resources released these statements about the Potter Site:

“This is a rare example of a highly intact, exclusively Paleoindian multi-purpose archaeological site,”

”Studies done by professional archaeologists indicate that it was used intermittently as seasonal hunting and fishing camps from 12,500-10,500 B.P. (before the present).”

“A majority of the artifacts recovered at the site during excavation are byproducts from the manufacture of chipped stone tools, including butchery implements, hide working tools, hunting weapons, woodworking tools and tools for cutting, scraping and shaping.”

“Potter Site’s layout indicates that three household encampments were scattered across the area, along with three stone tool production workshops, a wooden tool production workshop and three undefined activity sites. When inhabited, the household encampments and workshop areas would have been within a few feet of each other.”

“A portion of the stone tools and stone debris recovered come from stones not naturally found in the area, indicating that people at the Potter site traveled throughout the region, interacted with other Paleoindian groups and that the site itself was part of a much larger settlement system.”

Author: NHTourGuide