Baker Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Baker Site (15MU12)
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Skilesville, Kentucky |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| MPS | Green River Shell Middens of Kentucky TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000654 |
| Added to NRHP | April 1, 1986 |
The Baker Site is an important ancient place in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. It is located near a stream called Andrew's Run. This site is a special kind of archaeological site called a shell midden. A shell midden is like an ancient trash pile, mostly made up of leftover shells from meals.
Archaeologists believe people lived here during the Middle Archaic period. This was a very long time ago, roughly 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. Besides the shell middens, experts have also found four human graves and three dog graves at the site. Many old tools and items, like projectile points (which are like arrowheads or spear tips) and scrapers (tools used for cleaning animal hides), have been found here.
Discovering the Baker Site
The first time people really looked at the Baker Site was in 1938. At that time, some pits were dug to get material for chicken feed. The site got its name from Harry Baker, who owned the land nearby.
What Archaeologists Found
In 1979, a state survey team visited the site again. They noticed that the middle part of the site had been damaged. Only about 25% of the site, mostly the edges, was still in good condition.
Even with some damage, the Baker Site is still very valuable. Experts believe that the undisturbed edges still hold a lot of information about the past. During the 1979 survey, archaeologists collected 55 stone tools and 44 items made from animal parts from the surface of the site.
Protecting This Ancient Place
Because of its importance, the Baker Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1986. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history and need to be protected.
The Baker Site is also part of a larger area called the Green River Shell Middens Archeological District. This district is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's considered a very important historical place for the entire country.
