Kennewick Mans bones were found on the Columbia River almost directly across from where I live. 
Posted on 02/22/2006 1:25:48 PM PST by Spunky
Scientists plan to disclose their findings about Kennewick Man on Thursday in Seattle, nearly a decade after the discovery of the 9,000-year-old skeleton that attracted worldwide interest and sparked a lengthy legal fight.
"Kennewick's story is finally going to get told," said Cleone Hawkinson, president of Friends of America's Past. Hawkinson has been working for years to ensure Kennewick Man's bones would be studied by the top scientists in the country.
Kennewick Man's bones are significant to scientists because they are considered one of the most complete ancient skeletons ever found. Scientists have theorized he was about 45 years old when he died, and had been wounded by a stone projectile.
Doug Owsley, the forensic anthropologist for the Smithsonian and the lead scientist studying Kennewick Man, will detail his findings at the American Academy of Forensic Scientists annual meeting.
He wouldn't reveal details about his upcoming speech, but he hinted it will be significant.
"I think you will be surprised at what all is accomplished," he said. "I'm anxious to share it. I think you will be taken aback with how much information is going to come out."
Owsley plans to say whether Kennewick Man was buried or not, and if his bones laid in the same position until he was discovered. Scientists have long wondered whether Kennewick Man drowned or was buried along the river.
The Mid-Columbia's most famous resident was found in 1996 along the shores of the Columbia River by teenagers sneaking their way into Water Follies, the annual hydroplane races.
The discovery of the ancient skull and bones triggered a nine-year-long legal clash between scientists, the federal government and Native American tribes who claimed Kennewick Man as their ancestor.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled in the scientists' favor, allowing the first studies of the bones last summer.
Nearly all the scientists who were original plaintiffs in the case plan to attend Thursday's speech in front of the nation's finest forensic experts.
"I think I am going to be nervous that day," Owsley said.
The scientist has been working on the Kennewick Man project off and on since July's weeklong study at the Burke Museum in Seattle. He and a dozen experts have been coordinating their findings since leaving Seattle for their respective universities, project sites and labs around the country.
About 15 scientists will be conducting a second study of the bones this week at the University of Washington's Burke Museum in Seattle, Hawkinson said. Kennewick Man's remains are housed in the museum.
"It's a wonderful thing to have them all in the same place," she said.
This week's study will focus less on how Kennewick Man's bones changed over the centuries, and more on how he lived. Scientists likely will spend long hours at the lab, Owsley said.
Scientists plan to inspect Kennewick Man's hands and feet, the dimensions of his skull and look for repetitive stress to his bones. That will help them determine more about his daily life, his health and where he might have come from, Owsley said.
It's the last study planned for the bones. But Owsley said it's likely scientists will seek more studies in the future to confirm their findings and answer more questions.
Hawkinson said she expects experts from other countries will request the chance to study the bones as well. European, Asian and South American scientists are interested in how the skeleton compares to ancient remains in their countries.
But Hawkinson said all the tests and studies are sure to raise just as many questions as they answer.
"There may be some things that we will never know," she said.
Let me take a guess at what WON'T be said:
"Kennewick Man was Caucasian."
High time this research came out.
Kennewick Mans bones were found on the Columbia River almost directly across from where I live.
...thanks to the Clinton administration ordering that the excavation site be bulldozed and then buried under tons of new soil.
They also found his diaries, written on Bill the Cat stationary.
They're going to say the Kennewick Man was Japanese (but of the type before the Chinese arrived).
If that's the case, have you considering having sonic soundings to done you own yard, you might find Kennewick Man's relative.
That is the best way to screwover the PC control freaks.
Funny, I have a friend who lived in Kennewick and after this story broke I took to calling him Kennewick Man.
Thanks for the heads up.
So they finally found Jimmy Hoffa.
Too bad Clinton burried the site.
bump
He was most likely mongoloid. But who knows. It also could have been a skeleton of an early Europeon settler. But with
"scientists" automatic knee jerk reaction to make everything a billion years old via carbon dating which relies on assuptions and calibrated by tree rings from trees buried 3,500 years ago but "assumed" to be millions of years old themselves, who really knows for sure. <- (sarcastic teasing)
What ironic is the same people who argue for carbon dating toss the whole theory out the window when arguing against global warming. <- (bewilderment)
And save the replies to the contrary. I've heard them all before. <-(truth)
I think it's still going to be very hard to explain the timex watch he was wearing. <- (joke)
Let's worry about todays problems, like global jihad and the failure of our politians to take this Hitler-like idiology called Islam seriously. <- (serious issue)
"Kennewick Mans bones were found on the Columbia River almost directly across from where I live. "
Now just don't tell us the rest of the story is that your 45 year korean gardner went missing 10 years ago.
Careful, your complete and total ignorance is showing...
Or that.
WE FOUND JIMMY HOFFA!
He worked for UAE? Or went hunting with Cheney?
What, and I missed it?!!!
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