Joara Site Of Turning Point In America's History

What happened along Upper Creek in Burke County changed world history.

The first European explorer in these parts is said to have been Spanish conquistador Hernando DeSoto in 1540, but it wasn’t until 1566-67 that Spanish returned to stay for about 18 months—long enough to be considered “permanent.”

The archaeological dig is called the Berry Site for owners Pat and James Berry. Over the past 37 years, they’ve allowed archaeologists, volunteers and field school participants to excavate on their land, uncovering a key chapter in North Carolina history, one shovelful at a time.

I first visited the site in the 1990s during a public field day to observe the dig in progress. It was clear that archaeology is sweaty back-breaking work which made me appreciate that they do all the more.

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed another tour. Volunteers enthusiastically showed off artifacts they’d just found: pieces of native pottery dating to the 1500s—when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England. The potsherds had not been touched by human hands well over 400 years.

That’s the thrill of archaeology.

Dr. David Moore, emeritus professor of anthropology at Warren Wilson College, has spent the bulk of his career exploring Joara. With colleagues Dr. Robin Beck of the University of Michigan and Dr. Chris Rodning of Tulane University, he has worked tirelessly to uncover remains of a Spanish outpost and a village once inhabited by the Catawba.

In 1566-1567—40 years before the founding of Jamestown—120 men led by Juan Pardo traveled north and west from the coastal settlement of Santa Elena (present-day Parris Island, SC), using native trails along the Santee, Wateree and Catawba rivers. The men eventually arrived at Joara, a thriving native town north of present-day Morganton. There they established a winter base and built a fortification, “Ft. San Juan.”

In the coming months, Pardo’s men ventured west, establishing five more forts. They had set out to establish an overland route to Mexico, but as the story goes, Pardo had mistaken the Blue Ridge Mountains for the gold-rich Rockies—a miscalculation of some 2,000 miles.

A year and a half later, the natives turned on the Spanish, burning their structures to the ground and killing all but one of Pardo’s men. That lone survivor returned to Santa Elena to relay his shocking account. Before long, the Spanish retreated to St. Augustine, leaving the Eastern seaboard up for grabs by the French, Dutch and English.

It’s not clear why the natives turned on the Spanish. For some time, they had been allowed to live among the Indians who had provided them with food and supplies. And then one day, Ft. San Juan was burned to the ground.

At the Berry site, excavations have revealed charred outlines of buildings and a wealth of native pottery, arrowheads and other relics of Mississippian culture. They’ve also uncovered Spanish artifacts: glass beads, fragments of olive jars, painted Majolica pottery, a clay smoking pipe, pieces of chain mail.

Because it is on private property, Berry site is not open to the public.

To accommodate visitors, the Exploring Joara Foundation has established a living history village at Catawba Meadows Park off Sanford Drive in Morganton. Excavations have enabled the Foundation to accurately reconstruct 16th-century buildings there along the Catawba River Greenway.

An exhibit about Joara/Ft. San Juan is housed at the History Museum of Burke County near downtown Morganton.

Looking ahead, a family-friendly Community Day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21 at Catawba Meadows Living History Village. For more information, check the website, exploringjoara.org.

---Tammy Wilson lives near Newton. Contact her at [email protected]