Blackwater Draw facts for kids
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Blackwater Draw
(Anderson Basin) |
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ENMU museum and archaeological logo
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 Location in New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Clovis and Portales New Mexico |
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| Area | 3,200 acres (1,300 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000483 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | January 20, 1961 |
Blackwater Draw is a long, dry riverbed in New Mexico and Texas. It stretches for about 140 kilometers (87 miles). It starts in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, near Clovis, New Mexico. From there, it flows southeast across a flat area called the Llano Estacado. Eventually, it joins another dry riverbed, Yellow House Draw, near Lubbock, Texas. Together, they form Yellow House Canyon. This area drains a very large space, about 4,040 square kilometers (1,560 square miles).
Uncovering Ancient Secrets
Blackwater Draw is home to a very important archaeological site. An archaeological site is a place where people find old things from the past. This site is called the Blackwater Draw National Historic Landmark. A man named Ridgley Whiteman first noticed it in 1929.
The main part of the site is known as Blackwater Locality No. 1. It is the "type-site" for the Clovis culture. This means it's the most important place where we learned about the Clovis people. People had been finding bones and stone tools there for many years. The first big dig happened in 1932.
In the 1960s, a researcher named Frank J. Brolio dug up a camp nearby. It was called "Franks Folsom Site." He found a very large stone tool there. During this time (from 1952 to 1970), the Blackwater Draw area was also being mined for gravel. This mining accidentally uncovered many places where ancient mammoths and bison were hunted.
Another part of Blackwater Draw is called the Mitchell Locality. In the 1980s, a large campsite from the Folsom period was excavated there. Many stone tools were found. Some even had traces of bison and pronghorn blood on them!
Archaeologists found special spearheads at the site. These are called Clovis points. They are a unique invention from early North Americans. Other stone and bone tools were also found. These tools were used for hunting, preparing food, and other daily tasks. Clovis points are usually longer than Folsom points.
The Clovis-age tools were found with bones of giant animals. These animals lived a very long time ago, during the Late Pleistocene period. They include mammoths, camels, horses, giant bison, saber-toothed cats, giant sloths, and dire wolfs. Early people hunted these animals at Blackwater Draw.
Many different groups of people visited Blackwater Draw over thousands of years. They left behind layers of archaeological remains. These layers show different time periods, like Clovis, Folsom, Midland, Agate Basin, and various Archaic periods.
The Clovis stone tool technology is one of the oldest and most widespread in North America. Scientists used radiocarbon dating on dirt from the Clovis layers at Blackwater Draw. They found that these layers are about 11,290 years old. Two of the spear points found here helped define what Clovis tools look like.
The site is famous for its clear layers of dirt and artifacts. These layers, called stratigraphic horizons, show how different cultures lived there over time. They start with some of the earliest people in North America. They continue through the Southwestern Archaic period and into more recent history. Scientists have even found traces of protein on Clovis weapons. This shows they were used for hunting and butchering ancient animals.
Towards the end of the Ice Age, the climate changed. It became warmer and drier. This caused the water in the area to dry up. Small, seasonal lakes called playas formed. These areas became popular hunting spots for early North Americans. At that time, the site had many active springs. Stone tools were found in the sandy areas around these springs. People think they were thrown into the springs. Some even suggest it might have been part of a special ceremony.
Since its discovery, Blackwater Locality No. 1 has been a major focus for scientists. Many important groups have studied or funded research there. These include the Carnegie Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Academy of Natural Sciences, National Science Foundation, United States National Museum, and National Geographic Society. More than a dozen major universities have also been involved. Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) now owns and manages the site. They also handle visits and excavations.
The area around Blackwater Draw, called the Anderson Basin district, covers about 3,200 acres. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Blackwater Draw Museum
The first Blackwater Draw Museum opened in 1969. It was located on Highway 70 in Portales, New Mexico. Its main purpose was to show the artifacts found at Blackwater Locality No. 1. The exhibits showed what life was like at the site. They covered the Clovis period (over 13,000 years ago) up to more recent times.
In 2017, the museum moved to the Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) campus. It also expanded its focus. Now, it includes local history and archaeology from many different places. The exhibits explain how archaeologists work. They also show different archaeological sites, cultures, and scientific methods. Visitors can learn more about Blackwater Draw and archaeology in general. They can also see items from the greater Southwest. These items come from private collections, like the Miles Collection. This collection displays Southwestern pottery, baskets, and textiles. Since August 2017, Dr. Brendon Asher from ENMU has been in charge of Blackwater Draw. In 2020, Samantha Bomkamp became the museum's first Collections Manager.
The museum and the archaeological site are overseen by ENMU's Department of Anthropology and Applied Archaeology. ENMU students can work at the museum and site. They can be employees, interns, or volunteers. Anthropology students often use the museum's collections for class projects, research, and master's theses. Both the museum and the site host visits for ENMU students and K-12 school groups all year.
See also
