SOURCE URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr. FETCHED VIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr. DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 06:06 UTC CONTENT-TYPE: text/html; charset=UTF-8 SIZE: 83567 bytes ============================================================================== Jump to content Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation * [Main page](/wiki/Main_Page "Visit the main page \[z\]") * [Contents](/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents "Guides to browsing Wikipedia") * [Current events](/wiki/Portal:Current_events "Articles related to current events") * [Random article](/wiki/Special:Random "Visit a randomly selected article \[x\]") * [About Wikipedia](/wiki/Wikipedia:About "Learn about Wikipedia and how it works") * [Contact us](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us "How to contact Wikipedia") Contribute * [Help](/wiki/Help:Contents "Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia") * [Learn to edit](/wiki/Help:Introduction "Learn how to edit Wikipedia") * [Community portal](/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal "The hub for editors") * [Recent changes](/wiki/Special:RecentChanges "A list of recent changes to Wikipedia \[r\]") * [Upload file](/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard "Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia") * [Special pages](/wiki/Special:SpecialPages "A list of all special pages \[q\]") [ ](/wiki/Main_Page) [ Search ](/wiki/Special:Search "Search Wikipedia \[f\]") Search Appearance * [Donate](https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en) * [Create account](/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=David+Sutton+Phelps+Jr. "You are encouraged to create an account and log in; 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For other people named David Phelps, see [David Phelps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Phelps_\(disambiguation\) "David Phelps \(disambiguation\)"). | This article includes a list of [general references](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#General_references "Wikipedia:Citing sources") **but lacks sufficient corresponding[inline citations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#Inline_citations "Wikipedia:Citing sources")**. Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr.&action=edit) by [introducing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:When_to_cite "Wikipedia:When to cite") more precise citations. _( February 2015)__([Learn how and when to remove this message](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal "Help:Maintenance template removal"))_ ---|--- **David Sutton Phelps Jr.** (1930 – February 21, 2009) was an American professor and anthropologist. He was born in Fort Pierce, Florida. From 1970–1996 Phelps taught [anthropology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology "Anthropology") at [East Carolina University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Carolina_University "East Carolina University"), which named an archaeology lab after him. Before teaching at East Carolina University Phelps had taught at Tulane University, [Florida State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_University "Florida State University"), and Briefly at the University Of Georgia, respectively in that order. Phelps worked on many archaeological sites, some of his more notable sites are the [Tar River site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_River_site?action=edit&redlink=1 "Tar River site \(page does not exist\)"), the [Neoheroka Fort Tuscarora war site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoheroka_Fort_Tuscarora_war_site?action=edit&redlink=1 "Neoheroka Fort Tuscarora war site \(page does not exist\)") (near snow hill), [Lake Phelps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Phelps "Lake Phelps"), [Fort Raleigh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Raleigh "Fort Raleigh") (near Manteo), and [Hatteras Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatteras_Island "Hatteras Island"). [Tar river](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_River "Tar River") showed evidence of human occupation more than 11,000 years ago. At the Hatteras island near Buxton a 16th-century signet ring that may have belonged to the lost colonists. In 1992 Lake Phelps was archaeologically explored and over 30 ancient canoes were found. Out of the 30 canoes only 23 have been measured and studied. The process of making these canoes is through splitting a Cyprus log and burning/scraping the interior until the desired shape is acquired. The earliest inhabitants associated with this region are represented by small spear points of the palmer type dating back to the period of 8000BCE – 9000BCE. The late archaic period (3000BCE – 1000BCE) was represented by such items as spear points, spear thrower weight and bi-facial blades. Cooking vessels made of soap stone. The three earliest dated canoes belong to this time period. The early [woodland period](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodland_period "Woodland period") was between 1000BCE- 300BCE) and was found to contain fabrics and artistic designs on paddles. Two of the canoes were found to belong to this period. The middle woodland period between 300BCE and 800AD and is classified as the most active time period for the site. 8 of the canoes belong to this time period. The late woodland culture from 800AD to 1650 is attributed with being the ancestral culture of the Carolina Algonkians. Only 3 canoes were found to belong to this time period. In 1998 Phelps discovered an unusual ball of clay that was later revealed to be a 10 carat gold signet ring. The ring is engraved with a prancing lion and is believed to date back to the 16th century.[1] David Phelps, director of the East Carolina University Archaeology laboratory at the time, retired from East Carolina University in 2000 and moved back to Florida. On February 21, 2009 Phelps died at the age of 79.[2] ## References [[edit](/w/index.php?title=David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr.&action=edit§ion=1 "Edit section: References")] 1. ↑ Kozak, Catherine (March 8, 2009). ["Signet ring crowned N.C. archaeologist's career"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150221232545/http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/signet-ring-crowned-nc-archaeologists-career). _PilotOnline.com_. The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from [the original](http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/signet-ring-crowned-nc-archaeologists-career) on 2015-02-21. Retrieved July 19, 2020. 2. ↑ ["David S. Phelps Jr"](http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pilotonline/obituary.aspx?n=david-s-phelps&pid=124833547). _Legacy.com_. The Virginian-Pilot. March 3, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2020. ## External links [[edit](/w/index.php?title=David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr.&action=edit§ion=2 "Edit section: External links")] * [Ecu.edu](http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/mktg/east/In-Memoriam-Summer-2009.cfm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100707082059/http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/mktg/east/In-Memoriam-Summer-2009.cfm) 2010-07-07 at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine") * [Digital.lib.ecu.edu](http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/1061/) * [Homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com](https://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jmack/algonqin/phelps2.htm) [Authority control databases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Authority_control "Help:Authority control") [](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5240194#identifiers "Edit this at Wikidata") --- International| * [ISNI](https://isni.org/isni/0000000024556346) * [VIAF](https://viaf.org/viaf/247546546) * [WorldCat](https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJwxHhhddpW3mJ6QJW3WjC) National| * [United States](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n80009976) Retrieved from "[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr.&oldid=1317728443](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Sutton_Phelps_Jr.&oldid=1317728443)" [Categories](/wiki/Help:Category "Help:Category"): * [1930 births](/wiki/Category:1930_births "Category:1930 births") * [2009 deaths](/wiki/Category:2009_deaths "Category:2009 deaths") * [East Carolina University faculty](/wiki/Category:East_Carolina_University_faculty "Category:East Carolina University faculty") * [20th-century American anthropologists](/wiki/Category:20th-century_American_anthropologists "Category:20th-century American anthropologists") Hidden categories: * [Articles with short description](/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description "Category:Articles with short description") * [Short description is different from Wikidata](/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata "Category:Short description is different from Wikidata") * [Articles lacking in-text citations from February 2015](/wiki/Category:Articles_lacking_in-text_citations_from_February_2015 "Category:Articles lacking in-text citations from February 2015") * [All articles lacking in-text citations](/wiki/Category:All_articles_lacking_in-text_citations "Category:All articles lacking in-text citations") * [Webarchive template wayback links](/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links "Category:Webarchive template wayback links") * This page was last edited on 19 October 2025, at 18:08 (UTC). * Page was rendered with [Parsoid](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid "mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid"). * Text is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License "Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"); additional terms may apply. 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