Prehistoric ceramics recovered during the shovel test survey (A—shell-tempered rim fragment with simple-stamped surface treatment; B—shell-tempered body fragment with fabric-impressed surface treatment; C—shell- tempered body fragments with fabric-impressed surface treatment).
Historic artifacts recovered during the shovel test survey (A—clear bottle glass base fragment marked “C78”; B—white clay tobacco pipe bowl fragment; C— white clay tobacco pipe stem fragment; D—Silver-plated spoon marked “Monroe Silver Co.”; E—copper-alloy button).

Between March 2002 and April 2003 archaeologists conducted an archaeological survey of a portion of the Ripley property that encompassed Site 44GL32. The archaeologists dug shovel test pits every 50 feet on a grid across 40 acres of the Ripley’s property. The soil from these holes was screened through ¼ inch mesh, helping archaeologists find artifacts in 478 of the 560 shovel test pits.

The survey identified concentrations of artifacts signifying an extensive Virginia Indian occupation spanning the Archaic to Contact periods (8000 B.C.E. to circa 1609), along with historic occupations dating from the late 17th to the 20th century. In addition to thousands of artifacts being recovered from these periods, at least 41 features were located. The artifacts and features found during the survey provided archaeologists with additional evidence suggesting this was the location of Powhatan's capital village of Werowocomoco.