Outline of Delaware Prehistory
(from Custer, Jay F. “A Guide to Prehistoric Arrowheads and Spear Points of Delaware.” UD Center for Archaeological Research, Newark, DE. 1996.)
There were many changes in the environments of Delaware during the 15,000 years or so of human occupation of the state, and prehistoric peoples had to adapt to these environmental changes. Each of the major cultural periods are described below. The descriptions are drawn from books on the archaeology of Delaware (Custer 1984) and the Delmarva Peninsula (Custer 1989).
- Paleo-Indian Period (12,000 – 6500 B.C.)
- Archaic Period (6500 – 3000 B.C.)
- Woodland I Period (3000 B.C. – A.D. 1000)
- Woodland II Period (A.D. 1000 – 1600)
- Contact Period (A.D. 1600 – 1750)
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