Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/19/1972
NRHP Reference Number 03001091
In a field to the east of the Nanzatico plantation house is the site of a village occupied by the Nanzattico Indians. The village, which was established in prehistoric times, was one of the largest and most important Indian settlements on the Rappahannock in the early 17th century. It was similar to the village shown in Theodore de Bry’s engraving in Thomas Harriot, A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (1590). The name is a corruption of Nantaughtacund, a tribal name originally identified by Capt. John Smith. Although partial examination of the site has already uncovered significant artifacts, from the Townesend and Potomac Creek components, complete archaeological investigation could provide important information on Indian life before and during the early contact period.
[VLR Listed Only]
First identified in 1972, Nanzattico represents a Late Woodland (ca. A.D. 900 – 1607) Native American village. Additional archaeological testing in 1995 documented the presence of well-preserved subsurface archaeological deposits, with the village encompassing approximately 15 acres.
[Boundary Increase VLR Listed Only: 06/18/2003]
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: November 16, 2018
