KYANG Site facts for kids

The KYANG Site, also known as the Kentucky Air National Guard Site or 15JF267, is a very old archaeological site in Louisville, Kentucky. It is located on the grounds of the Louisville Air National Guard Base. An archaeological site is a place where people lived a long time ago. Scientists study these sites to learn about past cultures.

People lived at the KYANG Site for a very long time. They were there from the Early Archaic period to the Late Woodland period. These are names for different time periods in North American history before Europeans arrived. The site has two main areas. Both areas contain lots of "midden" deposits. A midden is like an ancient trash pile, full of things people threw away. These can include food scraps, broken tools, and other daily items. People also buried their dead at this site. Human remains have been found in both areas. The KYANG Site was first found in 1972. This happened during construction work at the base. Scientists began digging and studying the site the next year.

Discovering the Past at KYANG

Scientists from the University of Louisville studied the KYANG Site. They found that it was part of something called the "Old Clarksville Phase." This phase includes a group of sites from the Middle Archaic period. These sites are located near the Ohio River and the Falls of the Ohio. People lived in these areas between about 6000 and 4400 BC. The KYANG Site is also part of a later time, called the Lone Hill Phase. This phase lasted from about 4400 to 3200 BC. All sites from this phase are found in Jefferson County.

What Was Found at KYANG?

The large midden at KYANG has many bones from the Middle Archaic period. The soil at the site is very alkaline. This means it is not acidic. This special soil helped to keep the bones in good condition. Because the bones were so well preserved, scientists could study them closely in 1992. They learned a lot about how people made tools from bone during the Middle Archaic period.

The many burials and the large midden show that people used this site for a very long time. On top of the midden, scientists found a thick layer of mussel shells. This suggests that the people living there used the site to prepare mussels from the river. Other bones found at the site show that their diet also included small mammals and deer.

Life at the Site

Scientists found no signs that people lived at the KYANG Site during cold weather. This suggests that people only stayed there during certain seasons. They might have moved to other places when the weather got cold. This tells us that the people living at KYANG were likely nomadic, meaning they moved from place to place.

Protecting the Site

The KYANG Site is very important for understanding ancient history. Because of its importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1972. This means it is a special place that should be protected. In 1990, the exact boundaries of the protected area were changed slightly.