Workers Find Signs Of 7,500-Year-Old Civilization While Building Water Plant (Mass.)

Herald Tribune ^ | 1-23-2004 | AP

[blam]

Workers find signs of 7,500-year-old civilization while building water plant

The Associated Press

NORWELL, Mass. -- The discovery of a possible American Indian settlement as much as 7,500 years old has halted work on a new water treatment plant.

Workers have found about 38 tools and stone chips used for making and repairing tools, as well as a hearth and a storage pit, at the site on South Street near Third Herring Brook.

Lauren J. Cook, senior archaeologist on the team that surveyed the area, said it was unusual to find "features" of civilizations, like the hearth and the stone pit, so early in their survey.

"The site has, as we say, integrity. There are portions of the site beneath the surface that are not disturbed," Cook told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy. "It's pretty clear to us that one thing this site offers, because of the hearth, the possibility of radiocarbon dating, which can help to better define the period."

The tools are characteristic of the Late Archaic and Middle Archaic periods of the Holocene Epoch, and are between 3,000 to 7,500 years old, Cook said.

Artifacts from the Late Archaic period have been found in Norwell before.

"It was quite a thrill to touch and handle something a human hand had been holding 7,000 years ago in his or her hand," said Norwell water superintendent John McInnis, who was at the site when the artifacts were removed.

McInnis said that the treatment plant would be moved to another water department-owned site nearby.

Archaeologists will excavate some portions of the new site, as well as continue their surveys on the original site. If they uncover more artifacts at the original site, the Massachusetts Historical Commission could request a complete study.

The $7.2 million water system improvement project, that includes the plant and a new well field, would increase water production during periods of high demand.

[blam]

Keep in mind that there weren't any American Indians/Native Americans (As we know them today) here any earlier than 6,000 years ago.

I understand the sensation of handling something that old. I have some 7,000 year old wood. In fact, I have so much that I'm gonna burn some of it this weekend. (It's in my way)

[blam]

Ping. (These are probably the ancient folks in that area that have the word 'red' in their name. Right now I can't remember and it's time for my nap. Maybe it's 'Red-Paint' people)

[P8riot]

Workers find signs of 7,500-year-old civilization. . .

. . . along with a pictograph of Ted Kennedy.

[blam]

Red Paint People

[KantianBurke]

Chief "He who drinks and Sluts Around"

[aristeides]

I'm not sure I would agree that the presence of a hearth and a stone pit means that there was what we would call a "civilization" present. Anybody know when these things first appeared in the Old World?

[Verginius Rufus]

If they can link this site to the Vikings, would this be Norwegian wood?

[LenS]

Signs of civilization? A few stone chipped tools? Sheesh, even the Arabs show more signs of civilization (barely, though).

[Lokibob]

You mean.....gulp....they were.....gulp.....IMMIGRANTS???

Damn, we should have closed the border!!!!

[P8riot]

Greetings from another Virginia Freeper

[MineralMan]

"Keep in mind that there weren't any American Indians/Native Americans (As we know them today) here any earlier than 6,000 years ago."

Funny. I have some Chumash artifacts in my collection that date back to almost 8000 years. Perhaps you are incorrect.

[P8riot]

. . . , would this be Norwegian wood?

Or maybe Norwoojin weed.

[antaresequity]

I have a rock I found on a northern California beach. It is about 8 inches square.

It caught my eye because it was unlike any other rock on the beach. The beach was comprised of granite eggs. Beach tumbled stones that take on an egg like shape.

I picked up the rock and on one of its faces is the symbol Pi in perfect relief.

It is an absolutly amazing freak of nature, or ?

[blam]

America BC And Even Earlier (Red Paint People)

""Decades ago, Gutorn Gjessing pointed out that the identical [Red Paint] culture was found in Norway. No one paid much attention to that, but more recent carbon-14 dating has shown that the identical cultures had identical dates, and people began to pay more attention. It is now admitted that this is a high latitude culture that obviously sailed the stormy north Atlantic and stretched from northwest Europe over to America. It seemingly extends from along the Atlantic coast of Europe to America and in America from the high latitudes of Labrador down into New York state. "

[RunningJoke]

A choice between a 7000 year old garbage dump or brand new spanking water treatment facility. I'm going out on a limb on this one, but I'd rather have the water treatment facility.

Oh look a rock! No, no, no, that's not a rock that was an implement used in some type of pre-columbian religious ceremony.

[blam]

"Funny. I have some Chumash artifacts in my collection that date back to almost 8000 years. Perhaps you are incorrect."

Nah.

Maybe we can get FReeper Coyoteman to check-in on the subject. I believe he has done studies in this area.

[Nataku X]

Take it to a museum, get an expert to certify its age & manmade origin, sell it on E-bay or Sothebys, retire.

[camas]

wasn't the kennewick man found in washington about 7500 years old.

[cynicom]

Why would Kennedy want a water plant in Mass? If the headline said distillery, I might have read it.

[blam]

May be these are their southern relatives, huh?

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