In early colonial times the Manchester region was, at certain periods each year, the home of Passaconaway, chief of the Pennacook tribe and the head of the Pennacook Confederacy. This confederacy includes such tribes as the Agawam, Wamesit, Nashua, Souhegan, Pennacook, Winnepesaukee and Namaoskeag (Amoskeag). When the first settlers arrived in the Manchester region, they found a number of villages in which lived a large native population. Not only the Pennacooks lived here but other friendly tribes came to Amoskeag Falls at the proper season to take advantage of the excellent fishing. That this situation had existed for some time is evidenced by the large number of village sites and by the fact that even now, after large quantities of artifacts have been collected, specimens may still be found in the ground.