Geography of the Region
Landforms and Bodies of Water
The site is located on the banks of a river. Most of the surrounding land is flat, with few hills and no mountains. The river flows out into the large bay, which is an estuary where the waters of many rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is dotted with several islands, some that are very small and others that are many miles wide. Much of the coast is covered by marshes and swamps, and it also has many bays and estuaries.
Climate
The climate in the summer is much warmer than in England. Temperatures are very warm in the summer, and the weather is often very humid with frequent thunderstorms. The winters are much colder than in England, with occasional snow.
Soil
The soil near the area is a dark-brown sandy loam, or fertile soil. The native people in the area seem to have great success using the soil to grow crops. In areas near the marshes, the soil is much wetter. In the marshes, the soil is mixed with partially decayed plants.
(from left: sweet gum tree, sumac and sunflowers)
Plants The area is wooded with trees such as walnut, oak and sweet gum, which produce wood that is good for building and making fires. There are also plants and bushes such as sumac, which can be used as a dye, and sassafras, which is used as a tea or medicine. Other plants include poison ivy, holly, poke berry and pawpaw. Reeds grow in the marshes and can be used to make mats, nets and arrows. Native people in the region grow corn, squash and beans, as well as crops such as amaranth and sunflowers.
(from left: elk, timber wolf, largemouth bass)
Animals
Many animals live in the forest including elk, woodland bison, black bears, passenger pigeons, mountain lions and timber wolves. In the waters of the bay there are many fish, as well as crabs and oysters.