Pre-contact and colonial-era remains on the U.S. Capitol Grounds

Archaeological investigations on the United States Capitol Grounds have uncovered prehistoric artifacts such as stone flakes and hearth features indicating Native American activity, as well as buried colonial- and early national-period foundations and structural remains. These investigations, conducted during various construction and landscaping projects, document long-term human use of the Capitol Hill site prior to and after European settlement. Some finds are curated and reported in federal archaeological records for the Capitol complex.