Marmes Rockshelter facts for kids
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Marmes Rockshelter
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Unknown officials in the Marmes Rock Shelter before it was submerged
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| Location | Franklin County, Washington, U.S. |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000745 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Marmes Rockshelter (also known as (45-FR-50)) is an archaeological site discovered in 1962. It is located near Lyons Ferry Park where the Snake and Palouse Rivers meet, in Franklin County, southeastern Washington. This special rock shelter is important because it kept ancient materials, like bones and tools, very well preserved. It also showed many layers of soil, each telling a story about different times. The site contained some of the oldest Native American human remains found in North America at that time.
In 1966, Marmes Rockshelter became one of the first National Historic Landmarks in Washington state. Sadly, in 1969, the site was covered by water. This happened when a protective wall, called a levee, failed. The levee was built to keep out water from the newly built Lower Monumental Dam, which created Lake Herbert G. West.
Contents
Discovering the Ancient Past
Early Finds at Marmes Rockshelter
A rancher named John McGregor first told Professor Richard Daugherty about the site in 1952. Excavations, which are like careful digs, began in 1962. Professor Daugherty and Roald Fryxell, a geologist, led these digs. They worked for Washington State University (WSU) and the National Park Service. The first digs continued until 1964.
In 1965, Fryxell returned with Professor Carl Gustafson and students from WSU. They had Roland Marmes, the property owner, use his bulldozer to dig a trench. This trench uncovered human and elk bones. Scientists used Radiocarbon dating to find out how old the human bones were. They learned the bones were about 10,000 years old.
More Discoveries and Public Announcement
Fryxell returned again in 1968 with other WSU professors and scientists. They found more human and animal bones, along with tools made from bone. On April 29, 1968, Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington publicly announced these important discoveries.
The Site Goes Underwater
Efforts to Protect the Site
A plan to get money to protect the site did not pass. So, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an Executive Order. This order allowed the Army Corps of Engineers to build a levee around the site. This was to protect it from flooding. The flooding was expected because of the new Lower Monumental Dam.
The Flooding of Marmes Rockshelter
Later in 1968, Professor Daugherty left the dig, and Fryxell took over. Within three days of the Lower Monumental Dam closing in February 1969, the site was completely underwater. Water seeped through thick layers of gravel that engineers had not known about.
As the site flooded, the excavation team tried to prepare for the future. They laid down plastic sheets covered with gravel. They hoped this would protect the site and allow them to dig there again someday.
Current Status of the Site
The exact location of the Marmes Rockshelter is still known today. It faces some risk from erosion caused by boats on the lake. However, the Army Corps of Engineers believes the site is in good condition. Since 2004, they have given it a "Satisfactory" threat rating.
What Was Found at the Site?
The digs at Marmes Rockshelter showed that people lived there for 8,000 years. Humans were in the area as far back as 11,230 years ago. These early people hunted animals like elk and deer using atlatls, which are tools for throwing spears. They also hunted smaller animals like beavers and collected mussels from the river.
Tools and Ornaments
The excavations uncovered graves, which are burial sites. These graves contained beads made from shells and spear points. One grave, belonging to a child, held five matching stone knives. Scientists also found projectile points made of chalcedony and chert. Those found in the upper layers were made of agate, a stone not found nearby. This suggests trade with other groups.
Other stone tools were found too, such as scrapers for preparing animal hides. There were also mortars and pestles, used for grinding food or other materials. In layers about 7,000 years old, many shells from a snail called Olivella were found. These shells came from the West Coast of the United States, about 200 miles away. Most of these shells had holes drilled in them, meaning they were likely used as beads for necklaces.
A Special Medal and Ancient Plants
One of only five known Jefferson Peace Medals was found at the site. This medal was likely given to a local Native American leader, possibly from the Nez Perce tribe, during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This medal has since been returned to the Nez Perce people and reburied, following rules from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Scientists also studied ancient pollen found at the site. This showed that after the glaciers melted 13,000 years ago, the area was a grassy plain. Then, it became a forest with pine and spruce trees. Finally, it changed into the sagebrush prairie ecosystem we see today.
Why Marmes Rockshelter is Important
The human remains found at Marmes Rockshelter were special. Scientists could figure out their age using different methods: by studying the environment, the geology (earth layers), and the archaeological finds. These remains were the oldest found in Washington state at the time. They were also the oldest set of human remains found in North America.
Later studies using radiocarbon dating confirmed the original age of the site. Even though the human remains were very broken, they are still some of the oldest found in the Americas. This discovery helped confirm how old human history is in this region. It also showed how old the styles of bone tools found there were.
