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Pinedale Online > News > October 2007 > Big Piney 4th Graders visit Wardell Buffalo Trap

Dave Vlcek and Wardell. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Dave Vlcek and Wardell
BLM Archaeologists Dave Vlcek and Sam Drucker explain the importance of the Wardell Buffalo Trap site to Big Piney 4th graders at the Green River Valley Museum.

Wardell Dig Site. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Wardell Dig Site
Big Piney 4th Graders visit Wardell Buffalo Trap
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
October 23, 2007

Big Piney 4th graders took a field trip out to the Wardell Buffalo Trap near Big Piney on Monday morning as part of a series of trips highlighting economics, and how people present and past make and made their livings.

The history/economics education unit is being done in cooperation with the Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney.

Bureau of Land Management archaeologists Dave Vlcek and Sam Drucker explained the significance of Wardell, the first archaeology site in Wyoming with evidence of pre-historic people using bows and arrows instead of spears to procure food. This site contains evidence it was used as a significant bison kill and processing site dating back to about 1,000 years ago. It was excavated in the 1970s by Dr. George Frison with the University of Wyoming and again in 2005 with a dig sprearheaded by Sam Drucker with the Pinedale BLM.



Related Links
  • www.grvm.com - Green River Valley Museum
  • Wardell Buffalo Trap Revisited - Redigging Wardell (Pinedale Online! 9/10/05)

  • Hiking in. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Hiking in
    The dig site is about 1/4 mile from the road.

    Found bones. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Found bones
    Before they even got to the site, one of the kids found a bison bone laying on the ground. BLM Archaeologist Sam Drucker explains the importance of not picking up artifacts and being careful where you walk on an archaeological site.

    Walking in. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Walking in

    Explaining the setting. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Explaining the setting
    Dave Vlcek and Sam Drucker explain the layout of the Wardell kill and processing site.

    Uncovering the dig. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Uncovering the dig
    Sam and Dave remove the tarp that covers the dig site.

    Dig site. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Dig site
    Sam had the help of about 60 volunteers who excavated the dig site in the summer of 2005, recovering about a ton of bones.

    Vandal damage. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Vandal damage
    Vandals have done considerable damage to the site, including digging artifacts and shooting shotguns destroying the signs on the premises (note damaged sign on fence behind BLM archaeologist Dave Vlcek).

    Asking questions. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Asking questions
    Students had plenty of questions about the site.

    Erosion damage. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Erosion damage
    Erosion has caused deep gullys through part of the kill area, exposing bones. This area was the focus of an emergency dig in 2005 and is being restabilized to protect the area from further damage.
    Pinedale Online > News > October 2007 > Big Piney 4th Graders visit Wardell Buffalo Trap

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