The Gastonia Gazette from Gastonia, North Carolina • Page 37

Nomadic people lived in Carolina in ancient time By It. A. Asilslunt DJri'clor tk'hklo Museum ANI-YUN-WI-YA is whiil lln-y called Ihcmiiclvcs. Anil with some justification loo, niuco the Cherokee people were Hie most powerful tribe ever to live in the Carolinas. llut the Cherokee was not Ihe (inly tribe to live here.

In fuel, lliu Indian hislor.v the Carolinas goes hack at least 12.1100 years. Some researchers suspect that early nomadic family croups were Ihe Carolinas as early as 15,000 years ano. The Cherokee themselves have tradition thai Ihey misruled from the North with the Uelware people. The Mwarc legends and artifacts point hack in time to Ihe mass migration that trickled over Ihe land bridge at the prcsonl-day Bering Sea, a migration thai occurred at the end of the last Ice Age, 23,000 years ago. Other migrations into North Carolina hove occurred in the dim past.

About 8,000 years ago, a group of Indians knows today as the Morrow Mountain People showed up in North Carolina. Their artifacts suggest that they came from the west, perhaps as far as the Gypsum Cave area in Nevada. ANOTHER migration, an invasion really, happened around 1550 AD when powerful Creeks migrated into the PeeDce River Basin from the south and made slaves ouy of the Indians living there. But I am putting the cart before the horse. Let's go back in time to the earliest "Indians" in North Carolina and see what we can find.

Over 12,000 years ago, only small family groups were found in the Carolinas. The Ice Age was in their past and the area here was cooler than it is now. These nomadic hunters has no villages, no pottery, and no bow. Their main weapon was Ihe spear. Their arlifacts are crude, indicating little skill in most tool making.

Theirs was a hand-to-mouth existence, and they left little evidence of their passing. By 5000 BC tile nomadic family had developed into large clans of relatives and related clans. These were the Hunters And Gatherers, so named because they depended less iipom hunting and more upon the natural bounty of the forest and field. These people had not invented (lie bow yet cither, but they had improved Ihe basic spear by adding weight and a thrower handle called an alayl. They gathered freshwater mussels from the rivers and left behind mounds of Ihcir refuse.

They learned lo carve soapstone into ornaments and cooking vessels. During the ensuing 4,500 years, the bow was invented by the first Carolinians. They also developed the ability to make clay pottery and had settled down into semi-permanent villages in Ihe rich river bottomlands where farming became their principal activity. These people were the early farmers. Corn was their staple crop, ABOUT 1550 AD, the peaceful farmers of the Carolinas were invaded by the powerful Creeks from Ihe South.

The Creeks were Sun worshipers and builders of fortified towns and temple mounds. They had copper axes and ornaments. They had invented Ihe first textiles of soft bark fibers and op- possum hair. Their tools were well-worked and indicated a great degree of craftmanship and skill. By 1750, many different tribes had made their appearance in the Carolinas.

Here in the Piedmont were five tribes of Sioux descent, the Catawba, Saura, Occaneechee, Saponi, and Ke- yauwee. In Ihe mountains to the west were the powerful Cherokee, the "Principal Between the Pamilco and Neuse Rivers in the East were the Tusca- roras. North of them were the Algonquins of Powhatan's Confederacy. South of the Tusca- roras were the powerful Creeks. This is Jhe stage of human history when a new chapter began in the history of the Carolinas.

During the decade following 1750, most tribes signed treaties with the whites and began to decline, and their lands were cut and turned lo the plow. Ancient people no longer could dominate the scene. History moved on, and another people no longer supplanted them. TII MUSKUM contains many fine artifacts from Ihe various peoples of the Carolinas. Several beautiful exhibits depict the lives of the Cherokee, the Sioux, and the western Navajo.

Many other exhibits contain costumes and crafts from Indians all over the Americas. Many visitors spend hours reviewing these exhibits. If you have arlifacts you would like to tentatively date, bring them by the museum and a staff member will help you identify them with you. The 1972 season at Schiele Museum Planetarium has been launched this year with last year's best-attended spectacular, 'The End of The World." DURING the past two weeks, visitors registered from 37 North Carolina towns and cities and from Tennessee, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, California, and West Virginia. School classes are back in full swing after the holidays.

Sixth grades from Coslner, Lowell, Woodhill, Rhync, Myrtle, Arlington, Sherwood, Bessemer City Central and Grover Elementary participated in the Earth-Space Sciences Program this Headstart preschoolers from Victory School also visited the Museum. Miss Cindy Lynch served as Museum Guide this past weekend. Early birds get to see a total lunar eclipse on the morning of Jan. 30. This will your last opportunity to see an eclipse of the moon until 1975.

The eclipse favors the West Coast because of the hours. Eclipse begins at 4:11 a.m. EST and ends at EST. Gas- lonians can best see totality at 5:53 a.m. EST.

SUN WORSHIP Temple Mounds such as the one pictured here were built by the culturally advanced Creek Invaders, who settled in North Caro- lina around 1550 A.D. This mound is located at the Town Creek site near Mt. Gilead, N.C. Morton raps opponents FAIR BLUFF, N. C.

ccandidate for governor Hugh Morton accused two Democratic opponents Saturday night of making "ridiculous claims" regarding "the number of Robert Morgan supporters that have gone over to them. "It is amusing and ridiculous to observe the ballyhoo and fanfair when these Iwo politicians call a news conference to announce a half-dozen or so names of former Morgan sup- porters now backing lemh," Morton said in a talk prepared for delivery to a Young Democratic Club rally in Fair Bluff. Morton named no names, but it appeared obvious he Was referring lo Lt. Gov. Pat Taylor and former Slate Sen.

Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles. Taylor held a news conference this week to introduce seven former supporters to Ally. Gen. Robert Morgan who had Joined the Taylor camp. Mor- gan recently bowed out of the governor's race and said he would seek re-election as attorney general.

"Robert Morgan was definitely ahead of oil otlrr candidates at the time lie withdrew from the governor's race in November," Morton told the young Democrats. "I estimated that he had an absolute minimum 200.000 supporters that would have yolcd for him in May. SEMI-ANNUAL CLEARANCE Town Country Capexios Andiaino DeCoys American Girl Wispics BLACK BROWN TAN SUEDE or SMOOTH LEATHERS MULTI-COLORS SAVE (Belter Shoe Salon) ros Open Monday thru Saturday 9:30 A.M. lo 9 P.M. LADIES' PULLOVER SWEATERS VERY FAMOUS BRAND ORLON ACRYLIC Reg.

9.00 4 90 JUNIOR PANTS Famous Maker BRUSHED VELVETS SUEDES POLYESTER KNITS Keg. 13.00 6 90 3 PIECE SKIRT SUITS DACRON POLYESTER DOUBLE KNIT CO-ORDINATED JACKET, TOP SKIRT Reg. 40.00 28.00 3 PIECE JUNIOR PANT SUITS POLYESTER DOUBLE KNIT CO-ORDINATED JACKET, TOP AND PANTS. Reg. 50.00 24.00 JUNIOR SIZE DRESSES VARIETY OF STYLES AND COLORS Values To 28.00 NOW ONLY 15 LADIES' BLOUSES Famous Brand Names VARIETY OF STYLES, COLORS, SIZES Reg.

To 12.00 8 00 Ladies' Sweaters LARGE SELECTION OF COLORS PULLOVER BUTTON VEST ZIP FRONT Made of Easy Care Orion Acrylic Reg. 8.90 5.90 LADIES' ALL WEATHER COATS Very Famous Brand SOLID COLORS SIZES 8 to 18 Values To 30.00 19.90 LADIES' DRESSES ASSORTED DESIGNS, FABRICS AND FASHION COLORS Reg. To 24.00 9.00 LADIES' POLYESTER DRESSES FAMOUS BRAND NAME BROKEN SIZES SOLID COLORS Reg. 36.00 11:90 LADIES' FUR TRIMMED COATS ASSORTED FABRICS AND COLORS Reg. 80.00 NOW 35.00 and 39,00 Junior Hot Pants Very Famous Brand ASSORTED FABRICS, COLORS AND STYLES MEN'S SUITS Very Famous Brand BROKEN SIZES WOOLS AND BLENDS Reg.

70.00 46.67 Golf Slacks Famous Brand BROKEN SIZES SOLID COLORS Reg. 11.96 7.96 Men's Sport Coats Very Famous Brand tf. 10.00 BROKEN SIZES Reg. 39.95 WOOLS AND BLENDS 26.68 Ladies' Dress Coats SINGLE OR DOUBLE- BREASTED STYLES. NAVY.

BLACK, EMERALD OR RED. SILK BLENDS Reg. 30.00 24.00 Men's Sport Coats Very Famous Brand BROKEN SIZES WOOLS AND BLENDS 35 Reg. 50.00 33 Men's Dress Slacks Famous Name. Brand PERMANENT PRESS IN CHECKS, PLAIDS, STRIPES AND SOLIDS Rca.

10.00 lo 15.00 7.44.