Dedic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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DEDIC Site
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View of South Deerfield from Mount Sugarloaf
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| Nearest city | South Deerfield, Massachusetts |
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| NRHP reference No. | 80000504 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1980 |
The DEDIC Site is a very old archaeological site in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. An archaeological site is a place where people find evidence of past human activity. This site shows that people lived here about 10,000 years ago! These early people were part of the Paleo-Indian and Clovis cultures.
The DEDIC Site is located near Mount Sugarloaf. It is in the valleys of the Connecticut River and Deerfield River. This area was important for ancient people. They used parts of it as a "kill site." This means it was a good spot to hunt large animals. The DEDIC Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it is a special place that needs to be protected.
Discovering the Past
The DEDIC Site was first found in 1978. A group called the Deerfield Economic Development & Industrial Corporation did a survey. They quickly realized how important this site was. To protect it, they made a special agreement called a protective covenant.
Later, in 1995, Dr. Richard Gramly looked at land next to the site. This land was privately owned. The state bought it to keep it safe from building projects. Dr. Gramly came back in 2013 to dig more. His work found many more artifacts. He believes the DEDIC Site is one of the biggest Clovis sites in all of New England.
What Was Found?
Archaeologists have found many stone tools at the DEDIC Site. These tools tell us a lot about the people who lived there. Some of the things found include:
- Scrapers, used for cleaning animal hides.
- Drills, used for making holes.
- Hammerstones, used for shaping other tools.
- A stone bead, possibly for decoration.
The stone used to make these tools came from many different places. Some of it came from far away across New England. This shows that these ancient people traveled or traded with others. One very special find is a large fluted lance head. As of 2015, it was the biggest one ever found in the northeastern United States!
See the Artifacts!
If you want to see some of the amazing things found at the DEDIC Site, you can! There is a display of artifacts in Deerfield. You can find it at the Conway Street municipal building. It's a great way to see history up close.
