"Hey Rocky! Watch me pull an ancient artifact out of my hat!"
"That trick never works!"
L
Posted on 07/13/2007 1:10:32 PM PDT by Daffynition
ROSEVILLE An amazing discovery has been unearthed in Placer County. Amazing because of its history significance....and amazing because of how it was found. Archaeologist did not carefully unearth the 8,000 to 10,000 year old artifact, but it appears some curious squirrels dug it up.
And now, folks at the Maidu Indian Interpretive Center are trying to preserve what the squirrels unearthed. The center allows people to learn how Native Americans lived thousands of years ago. And it was here that the squirrels made their find in what could be called an ancient compost pile.
"You can see where little tiny flakes have been knocked off to sharpen this or to give it a certain shape." explained Cultural Interpreter Rick Adams who stumbled up the unearthed artifact along the Maidu Nature Trail. It's a carefully carved tool or ceremonially object dating back an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 years. Experts say it appears to be partially volcanic and may have originated in the Rancho Murietta area about 20 miles from where it was discovered.
"We only find what the squirrels are giving us right now. And that's OK. We don't want to dig." said Park Specialist Chuck Kritzon.
While the officials running the Maidu Center know there are probably more artifacts in the park, it is illegally for humans to dig them up on the protected land.
"Hey Rocky! Watch me pull an ancient artifact out of my hat!"
"That trick never works!"
L
Great editor.
LOL. Nope.
However, the people who were here 8-10,000 years ago are not the same people we today call Native Anerican/American Indians.
What a tease! No info. =(
Cool thing is, the squirrel archeologists don’t care that they are being paid peanuts...
Man...when squirrels start digging up their weapons caches you just know there’s going to be trouble in California.
Well, of course not. He works for the government, after all...
And this one, “It’s a carefully carved tool or ceremonially object”.
The author seems to have a thing for adding “ly” to words.
Well, of course not. He works for the government, after all...
Your cheap shot misses its mark. Haven't you heard of "conservation archaeology"?
Our goal is to preserve sites as much as possible, not to excavate them.
Just doing the work you cannot get an illegal to do.
This article has 2 elements that I enjoy — GGG/Sunken Civ type of archaology and some irony. Maybe worthy of your ping list.
A ancient whatchamacallit or a doohicky.
Then what the hell is the point?
L
From a long time ago, in a county far, far away...
Ironically, the tool was a squirrel skinner.
Then what the hell is the point?
Archaeologists, borrowing from the physical and biological sciences, have more and more tools each year with which to analyze sites. Our goal is to save sites, as much as we can, for those more advanced tools.
There are plenty of sites that need to be excavated now, as they may be under a planned building or freeway, to keep the research data flowing. But we need to plan for the future as well.
If we were working in 1950, instead of now, we would not have access to radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, computer analyses of various kinds, or a host of other techniques we routinely use today. Sites that were destroyed in 1950 were lost before those newer techniques could be used. There is no reason to think that there won't be many new techniques in the next 50 years.
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