CENTER OF POWHATAN CHIEFDOM EXPLORED
IN JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT EXHIBITION OPENING MAY 15, 2010

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Jamestown Settlement will exhibit artifacts from Werowocomoco – the principal residence of Powhatan, paramount chief of 30-some Indian tribes in Virginia’s coastal region at the time English colonists arrived in 1607 – in the special exhibition “Werowocomoco: Seat of Power” May 15 through November 15, 2010.  Jamestown Settlement is a museum of 17th-century Virginia operated by the state’s Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. 

The six-month exhibition is the first time artifacts from the Werowocomoco site will be displayed in a museum setting.  Archaeological research in the past decade has revealed not only that the York River site was a uniquely important place during Powhatan’s time, but also that its role as a political and social center predated the Powhatan chiefdom.  The exhibition will examine the relationship between material culture and political authority in the region from prehistoric times through the early years of the 17th century.

Developed in cooperation with the Werowocomoco site owners Lynn and Bob Ripley, the Werowocomoco Research Group and the Virginia Indian Advisory Board, the exhibition also will explore what Werowocomoco means to descendent Virginia Indian communities today. The Werowocomoco archaeological site, located about 30 miles from Jamestown, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register. In popular history, Werowocomoco is the location where Captain John Smith was held prisoner by Powhatan in 1607.

In conjunction with the special exhibition and in partnership with the Virginia Indian community, Jamestown Settlement will present “Virginia Indian Heritage Day” on June 26, during which panel discussions will address the importance of Werowocomoco and the history of the Powhatan Indians. The day also will feature presentations of Virginia Indian intertribal dancing and drumming.

The Jamestown Settlement exhibition is being funded by a grant from James City County. 

Jamestown Settlement is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is located on State Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg.  For more information about the museum or exhibition sponsorship opportunities, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or (757) 253-4838 or visit www.historyisfun.org.

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Media Contacts:  Debby Padgett, (757) 253-4175
                          Tracy Perkins, (757) 253-4114
                          Susan Bak, (757) 253-4138