▁village ▁of ▁Met ta qu em . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁when ▁a ▁team ▁prepared ▁to ▁exc av ate ▁where ▁the ▁symbol ▁indicated , ▁arch ae ologist ▁Nicholas ▁Luc ck etti ▁suggested ▁they ▁name ▁the ▁location ▁" Site ▁X ", ▁as ▁in ▁" X ▁marks ▁the ▁spot ." ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁statement , ▁the ▁First ▁Col ony ▁Foundation ▁reported ▁finding ▁fragments ▁of ▁T ud or ▁pot tery ▁and ▁weapons ▁at ▁Site ▁X , ▁and ▁concluded ▁that ▁these ▁indicate ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁colon ists ▁res iding ▁peace fully ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁challenge ▁for ▁this ▁research ▁is ▁to ▁convin cing ly ▁rule ▁out ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁such ▁finds ▁were ▁not ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 5 ▁Lane ▁col ony , ▁or ▁the ▁trad ing ▁post ▁established ▁by ▁Nathan iel ▁Batt s ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁the ▁Foundation ▁announced ▁plans ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁research ▁into ▁land ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁don ated ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina ▁as ▁Sal mon ▁Creek ▁State ▁Natural ▁Area . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁factors ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁a ▁team ▁led ▁by ▁clim at ologist ▁David ▁W . ▁St ah le ▁( of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ark ansas ) ▁and ▁arch ae ologist ▁Dennis ▁B . ▁Bl anton ▁( of ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁and ▁Mary ) ▁concluded ▁that ▁an ▁extreme ▁dr ought ▁occurred ▁in ▁T ide water ▁between