Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site
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| Nearest city | Redmond, Washington |
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| NRHP reference No. | 70000642 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1970 |
The Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site is a special place in Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. It's where archaeologists dug up amazing clues about people who lived there long, long ago. In 1962, King County bought the land. Soon after, in 1964, experts started digging. They worked for four years to uncover secrets from the past.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Life at Marymoor
Archaeologists found evidence of two different times when people lived at this site. It's right next to the Sammamish River.
The Earliest Visitors: Around 4,000 BCE
The oldest signs of people are from about 4,000 years before the Common Era (BCE). This means they were here around 6,000 years ago! Experts think this was a seasonal camp. People might have stayed here only during certain times of the year. In this ancient layer, researchers found stone tools. These included points that could have been used for spears or arrows.
Later Settlers: Around 1,000 BCE
The second time period shows people living here around 1,000 BCE. This camp seems to have been more permanent. The stone tools found from this time were made from many different kinds of stone. The older tools were mostly made from basalt. Many of the newer stones had to be traded from the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These types of stone don't naturally appear on the western side.
What Happened to the Discoveries?
Many of the items found were shown in the Marymoor Museum. This museum was located at the park for a long time. In 2002, the museum moved out of the park. Other important items were sent to the Burke Museum. This museum is at the University of Washington.
More Ancient Discoveries Near Redmond
In 2008, archaeologists were doing a routine check near Bear Creek. This was part of a project to help restore the stream. They found stone artifacts in this area. It's located between Marymoor Park and the Redmond Town Center shopping mall.
Finding Even Older Tools
From 2009 to 2014, more artifacts were found. These were hidden beneath a layer of peat. Peat is a type of soil made from decayed plants. The discoveries included stone flakes, scrapers, awls, and spear points.
In 2015, an exciting announcement was made. These newly found stone tools were the oldest ever discovered in Western Washington! Scientists used a method called Carbon-14 dating to find their age. They learned that the peat layer was deposited about 10,000 years ago. This means the tools are incredibly old.
