High Country Archeology

A neat newspaper article: Unearthing secrets of the ancient Cascades:

Archaeological digs in two Washington national parks continue to reveal artifacts that debunk the myth that indigenous people didn’t gather food and plants from the upper reaches of the Cascades. A dig near Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park has revealed evidence that humans used the area 9,600 years ago. At Mount Rainier National Park, a site on the northern slope of the mountain has produced artifacts dating back 7,600 years.


I am not sure why archeologists have been slow to accept the idea that precontact Indians might have ventured into the high county on a regular basis. Why wouldn't they? Mountain goat horns are useful for bowls and spoons, the summer flies are not so thick up there, and fresh glacier lilies are mighty tasty. And I think I disagree with this passage, from anthropologist Bradford Andrews:

Although today it’s more recreational, in the past they were more worried about finding food to eat.

Why couldn't it have been both? That 20th century Americans find the Cascades high country beautiful is not some modern refinement. We have abundant evidence that American Indians had a highly developed aesthetic sense for the outdoors as well. Maybe the Indians who left the fire pits and tools that archeologists are finding in the high county were there on vacation!

(I don't normally link to newspaper articles but this one is bringing back memories. I worked for four seasons in the North Cascades National Park, the last few on trail crew, and frequently hiked across Cascade Pass and similar places. I have fond memories of feasting on huckleberries and blueberries at 6000 feet.)

Seriously Ancient Sh*t

Evidence Supports Earlier Date for People in North America - New York Times: "Exploring Paisley Caves in the Cascade Range of Oregon, archaeologists have found a scattering of human coprolites, or fossil feces. The specimens preserved 14,000-year-old human protein and DNA, which the discoverers said was the strongest evidence yet of the earliest people living in North America." See also this Paisley Caves description from University of Oregon.

NPR: Eroded Oregon Coast Yields Once-Sunken Surprises

NPR: Eroded Oregon Coast Yields Once-Sunken Surprises: "Shipwrecks, ghost forests of tree stumps thousands of years old and brilliant red formations have all been uncovered this winter along the Oregon coast after severe storms led to massive erosion."

It seems as if this winter's storms have severely eroded sections of the Oregon Coast, revealing not only ancient stumps but shipwrecks and even some Civil War-era cannons:

Unearthing Tse-whit-zen

From the Seattle Times comes a fabulous educational website: Unearthing Tse-whit-zen. "Tse-whit-zen is the largest ancient Indian village ever unearthed in Washington, and one of the region's most extraordinary archaeological finds."

The site was uncovered in 2003 by workers on the Port Angeles waterfront. Archaeologists were called in an in a multi-year excavation discovered 335 skeletons and thousands of artifacts dating back 2,700 years.

This website includes a multi-part series on the discoveries, a narrated sideshow of the discoveries, a Flash exhibit of life in the village, and some charming audio files where Klallam elders discuss some of the artifacts. Even a study guide to make certain that you were paying attention.

Kennewick Man Virual Interpretive Center

The Tri-City Herald's Kennewick Man Virual Interpretive Center Has all of that paper's extensive coverage of everybody's favorite 10,000-year-old man. Discovered in 1996 along the Columbia River, the ancient remains of Kennewick man have provoked scientific discovery and political controversy in equal measure, as scientists and native groups struggle for control of one of the oldest skeletons ever located in North America. Along with the individual newspaper articles, the Interpretive Center offers a 1999 special series, "Recasting the Past," that uses the Kennewick Man controversy to explore controversial issues concerning the peopling of the Americas and archeology. There are also sections with court documents, photos, a time line and more.

Kennewick Man is in the news again right now, as Congress debates legislation that would automatically classify all ancient human remains as Indian, whether or not a cultural tie can be demonstrated.