| The Werowocomoco
project literally would not have been possible without the enthusiastic
support and encouragement of the site owners Bob and Lynn Ripley.
Their active participation in the project has greatly strengthened
it, and we are most appreciative. The Virginia Foundation for the
Humanities provided key support so that the project could be more
than just an archaeological excavation by having a public outreach
component involving the development of a project web site, active
involvement in the project by the Virginia Indian community, and establishment
of an educational program for local teachers. From the very beginning,
chiefs from the state-recognized tribes and their representatives
on the project's Virginia Indian Advisory Board have been very generous
in providing advice to us and helping to guide the project. Greatly
aiding the 2002 archaeological survey of Werowocomoco was Anthony
Smith, both in historical research and the fieldwork that followed.
We also were most fortunate to have been provided by Berle Clay of
CRAI-KY with a volunteer two-day five-acre remote sensing survey to
better understand some intriguing cultural features identified during
the 2003 field season. Two Rivers Productions provided an important
service by recording many aspects of the project on video; this is
a very valuable record of the project, and for that we thank them.
Also providing critical assistance to the project was institutional
support from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and College
of William and Mary. VDHR director Kathleen Kilpatrick ensured from
the beginning that the project receive all available support possible.
Key staff providing assistance included Robert Carter, Deborah Woodward,
Sean Smith, and Keith Egloff who aided in a variety of ways from
finding scarce funds to support the project to promoting it in departmental
publications and assisting in archival and curatorial needs. The
College's Vice President for Public Affairs William Walker was instrumental
in organizing our May 2003 press conference which drew so much attention
to the project. Provost Geoffrey Feiss and Interim Dean of the Faculty
of Arts and Sciences Barbara Watkinson along with Anthropology Department
Chair Tomoko Hamada provided important assistance in ensuring that
our February 2003 meeting with Virginia Indian representatives and
our 2003 field school were so successful. Aiding us with the development
of a project web site were college staff Curt Moyer and Pablo Yaneaz.
Finally, we are appreciative that both the VDHR and the College
supported the project through their web sites and publications which
greatly assisted us in presenting to the public the importance of
Werowocomoco as a symbol of Virginia Indians and Virginia history.
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