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Pinedale Online > News > February 2011 > Learning about local artifacts

Atlatl darts. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
Atlatl darts
These points may be as old as 4,800 years, according to the archaeologists. They are dart points for an atlatl, a spear throwing device used before they were replaced by bows and arrows. McKean Technocomplex, Duncan/Hanna points. Estimated age, 3800 to 4800 years old, give or take a couple of hundred years.

Private collection. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Private collection
Many people have private artifact collections, some of which have been in their families for generations. Collecting on private land is legal. Archaeologists hope to educate people about the importance of documenting the site location to get as much information as possible about where an item was found.

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Learning about local artifacts
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
February 22, 2011

The local Upper Green River Basin Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society held their regular monthly meeting on February 15th at the Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney.

This meeting’s focus was an "artifact ID" session. WAS members were encouraged to bring in local artifacts they may have found in the Upper Green River Valley area. BLM archaeologists Dave Vlcek and Sam Drucker were on hand to look at the specimens and share what they could tell about them based on their knowledge of local area archaeology. Non-WAS members were offered the opportunity to have the archaeologists look at their items if they joined the WAS chapter, which a couple people did.

Artifacts brought in included rock dart points for an atl atl, rock arrow points, rock scrapers, a rock drill, rock bird points, a pipe, groundstone artifacts, a rock that may have been a possible fishing weight, a bone awl, southwestern pottery scherds. Artifacts were measured, weighed, photographed and documented. Items were allowed to be retained by the people who brought them in.

Part of the efforts of the Upper Green River Basin chapter of the WAS is to host programs that educate the public and raises the level of professionalism and ethics of amateur archaeologists and hobby collectors.

The Upper Green River Basin Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society is a new chapter which formed in April 2010. The chapter is active with growing membership . They meet the third Tuesday of each month, alternating between the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale and the Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney. The group tries to bring in guest speakers to give talks on archaeological topics for each meeting. During the summer, they plan to do field trips and assist with some archaeological surveys and hopefully some digs.

Thank you to Dave Vlcek for his contribution to this article.



Related Links
  • www.sublette.com/was - Upper Green River Basin Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society
  • www.wyomingarchaeology.org - Wyoming Archaeological Society
  • 1906 Antiquities Act - National Park Service
  • Resources at Risk - BLM Wyoming
  • Collecting artifacts on public land - BLM
  • Ethics for Professional Archaeologists - Society for American Archaeology

  • Local WAS Chapter. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Local WAS Chapter
    Eighteen people came to the February 15th WAS meeting at the Green River Valley Museum in Pinedale. The chapter has 21 paid members for 2011. The chapter formed in April 2010. They meet monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, alternating between the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale and the Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney. Everyone is welcome to come hear the speakers. In the summer, the group plans to do a variety of archaeology-related field work projects.

    Artifact ID. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Artifact ID
    Artifact ID Bureau of Land Management archaeologists Sam Drucker (seated at left) and Dave Vlcek (second from right) look at and measure artifacts brought in during the "Artifact ID" session. They gave their opinions as to the age, composition, and where they have seen similar points found. The points were measured, photographed, and recorded as to where they were found. Others pictures are (L to R) Mike Hawkins, Keith Sims, and Clint Gilchrist.

    Biface. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Biface
    Bifacially flaked tool made from tabular chert, believed to be of local origin, called Wilkins Peak, a formation of the Eocene chert. It may have functioned as a cutting or scraping tool. Closer edge-wear analysis would be needed to suggest tool function.

    Gather round. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Gather round
    One of the missions of the WAS chapter is to raise awareness about site information that can be lost through amateur artifact hunting.

    Obsidian points. Photo by Clint Gilchrist, Pinedale Online.
    Obsidian points
    Small points, sometimes erroneously referred to as "Bird Points," have been found in direct association with Bison kills, such as Wardell – east of Big Piney. Tri-notched "Eden/Farson" points may be as recent as 200-450 years old. Teton Pass is the #1 source for obsidian. The archaeologists see very little obsidian from Obsidian Cliff in Yellowstone in our valley.

    Interesting artifacts. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Interesting artifacts
    (L to R): Mike Hawkins, Dave Vlcek, Amber Morris look at interesting artifacts in a private collection. Items include a pipe, groundstone hammer tool, possible fishing weight, an atlatl foreshaft and a bone awl.

    Photo recording artifacts. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Photo recording artifacts
    Clint Gilchrist, WAS member and on the board of directors for the Sublette County Historical Society, photographs artifacts. The SCHS has plans and hopes to one day soon build an archaeology wing onto the Museum of the Mountain Man complex in Pinedale.
      
    Pinedale Online > News > February 2011 > Learning about local artifacts

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