East Wenatchee Clovis Site facts for kids
The East Wenatchee Clovis Site is a very old place where amazing tools from the past were found. It's also known as the Richey-Roberts Clovis Site or the Richey Clovis Cache. This site holds special stone tools and other items that are about 13,000 years old!
It was discovered by accident in 1987 near East Wenatchee, Washington, in an apple orchard. Some of the stone tools found here are the biggest Clovis points ever seen by scientists. After some discussions about how to dig up the site, it was closed off from 1992 until 2007 to protect it.
How the Site Was Found
The East Wenatchee Clovis Site was discovered by chance on May 27, 1987. A man named Mark Mickels and a farmworker, Moises Aguirre Calzada, were putting in an irrigation pipe in an apple orchard. As they dug, they found about two dozen stone tools. At first, they thought these tools were left by local Native American tribes from more recent times.
The owners of the orchard, Rich and Joanne Roberts, later showed the tools to a local amateur archaeologist, Russell S. Congdon. He quickly realized they were much older and belonged to the Clovis culture. He then contacted a professional archaeologist, Robert Mierendorf.
The Clovis culture is famous for making some of the earliest known tools in North and South America. They lived around 11,050 to 10,800 radiocarbon years ago.
Studying the Site
The site was named by Robert Mierendorf, who was the first professional scientist to look at the tools. The Roberts family and their partner, Dr. Mack Richey, allowed more studies to happen starting in 1988. The site was then called the Richey-Roberts Clovis Site, and later, the Richey Clovis Cache.
In April 1988, a team led by Peter J. Mehringer from Washington State University began an excavation. This team included important experts in ancient American history and members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. They found 22 more stone and bone tools. They carefully removed only five of these for detailed study in a lab.
Later, in 1988, Dr. Richey became the sole owner of the site. He brought in a new archaeologist, R. Michael Gramly, who led another dig in October 1990. This new dig caused some disagreement. Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation were concerned. They felt that the excavation should respect Native American heritage and that digging for personal profit was wrong.
Because of these concerns, Gramly's dig was shorter than planned. About 69 artifacts, including tools and bone pieces, were removed. Some items were left in the ground. In 1992, Dr. Richey gave all the found Clovis artifacts to the Washington State Historical Society. He also sold the rights to the archaeological site to them. The agreement said that no more digging could happen for 15 years. This pause ended in 2007, but no new scientific digs have happened since then. The orchard was sold to a new owner in 2004. The archaeological area was covered with dirt and a cement slab, becoming part of the orchard again.
Why the Site Is Important
The East Wenatchee Clovis Site is very special. It gave us 36 ancient stone tools and 12 rods made from mammoth or mastodon bone. It also had many stone flakes, which are tiny pieces left over from making or fixing tools. This was the only complete Clovis site ever found in Washington state.
The site held the largest Clovis points known at the time. One of them was over 9 inches (23 cm) long! It was made from a beautiful white stone called agate. Before this discovery, the biggest Clovis points found were only about 6 inches long.
What made this site even more amazing was that most of the tools were found "in context." This means they hadn't been moved or disturbed much before archaeologists studied them. Many other important Clovis sites were only found after being scattered by road building or construction.
Scientists have different ideas about what the site was used for. Some thought it might have been a large camp, a place to store hunting tools, a ceremonial spot, or even a special offering. However, the many small stone flakes and broken bones suggest it might not have been just a hidden "cache" of tools.
Some members of Native American tribes in the Northwest believe that the Clovis hunters were their ancestors. They felt that the site should not be disturbed out of respect for the people who lived there long ago. This discussion helped shape how archaeologists work with local tribes in future research, making sure to consider their cultural heritage.
Today, the site continues to be an apple orchard. Even with all the care taken, some mysteries remain. Scientists wonder how orchard chemicals or water might affect any bones still in the ground. Also, natural disturbances from roots and animals could still impact the site. The East Wenatchee Clovis Site gave us a small peek into the past, but there's still more to learn!
