The Palisades run along the northeast edge of the city, above the Potomac. It is a part of the city that didn't get used for residential development until the early 1900s.
In his 1889 article, S.V. Proudfit made a special note about the density of Native artifacts that could be found there (see image from his map of village sites).
"This site lies on a table-land overlooking the river and at the base of another line of hills which rises from the eastern side of the plateau. The extent of this village is nearly equal to that of Nacotchtanke (Bennings), and it affords the same abundance of relics, which do not differ materially in character from those found at the latter place."
Unfortunately, most of the land in the Palisades is in the hands of private developers who do not have to search for artifacts of Native life before building. During the last 20+ years, in order to preserve as much as the Native history as possible, Palisades resident, Doug Dupin, has been digging and collecting artifacts from various locations in the area - often new construction sites - as well as helping other residents collect and study what they find around their homes.
For more details on the work done by Dupin and other concerned residents to preserve the rich Native history of the Palisades, go to The Palisades History Museum website.
