Two-thousand Years of Mica Mining in Western North Carolina: Archaeological Reflections on a Many-Layered History

Over a century ago, mica mining operations attracted settlers and industrialists to the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, the history of mica mining in the region actually begins at least 2,000 years earlier, when American Indians sought this special mineral for trade and ceremonial purposes. In this talk, archaeologist Alice Wright discusses the evidence for indigenous mica mining in western North Carolina, including recent findings from her excavations at a newly discovered earthwork site, and considers how the ancient mica trade linked Native Appalachian communities with other societies across eastern North America in prehistory.

The talk will be accompanied by fresh coffee and local baked goods!