A 2020 special exhibit focused on the Wampanoag presence in Wellfleet, before and after this exceptional geographical location became known as Wellfleet. We explored our muddled history through land deeds, artifacts found in Wellfleet from 8,000 BCE to 1900 CE and other articles from our collection and our shared history.

When the WHS&M discovered our native artifacts dated back to 10,000 BCE with some from the 18th century and several examples of dates in between we embarked on a nine-month journey to learn what we could about our collection. “Before 1620: Who Was Here?” was the culmination of a collaborative effort funded in part by Mass Humanities. Linda Coombs, Wampanoag historian, and Eric Lott, archaeologist, helped us organize, catalog, and make sense of our collection. The exhibit included several bifaces, a fishing weight, chert, a steatite “casserole” handle, clay pipe stem, mortar and pestle, wampum, land deed from 1715 and other examples that assist in the exploration of our muddled history. The exhibition questioned stereotypes and examines the past and present through some unusual lenses.

We would like to thank the Mass Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities for the funding that helped make this exhibition possible.