Paint Rock Canyon Archeological Landscape District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Paint Rock Canyon Archeological Landscape District
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| Nearest city | Hyattville, Wyoming |
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| Area | 5,340 acres (2,160 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 80004881 |
| Added to NRHP | July 12, 1990 |
The Paint Rock Canyon Archeological Landscape District is a special area in Wyoming where scientists have found many clues about ancient Native American life. This district covers about 5,340-acre (2,160 ha) on the west side of the Bighorn Mountains. It's like a huge outdoor museum, showing how people lived here thousands of years ago.
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Discovering Ancient Life
This amazing place holds secrets from a very long time ago. Archeologists, who are like history detectives, have found sites here that date back about 9,000 years! That's from the late Paleoindian period, all the way up to more recent prehistoric times.
What is an Archeological Landscape?
An archeological landscape is an area where many different signs of past human activity are found together. It's not just one old camp, but a whole region filled with various sites. These sites help us understand how people used the land, hunted, gathered food, and lived their daily lives over many centuries.
Who Lived Here?
For thousands of years, different groups of Native Americans lived in and traveled through the Paint Rock Canyon area. The earliest people, the Paleoindians, were often hunters of large animals. Over time, other groups came, adapting to the land and leaving behind different kinds of tools and campsites. Studying these sites helps us learn about their cultures and how they survived.
Types of Sites You Can Find
In the Paint Rock Canyon Archeological Landscape District, archeologists have found two main types of sites:
- Open campsites: These are places where people set up temporary camps outdoors. They might have left behind tools, cooking areas, or even traces of their shelters.
- Rock shelters: These are natural overhangs or caves in cliffs that people used for protection from the weather. They often contain layers of artifacts, showing how different groups used the shelter over thousands of years.
Protecting History: The National Register
Because the Paint Rock Canyon Archeological Landscape District is so important for understanding human history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 1990. This is a list of places in the United States that are considered historically significant. Being on this list helps protect these sites so that future generations can also learn from them.
