Sometime around 10,000 B.C. the last great Ice Age came to an end. As the ice retreated, it left behind fertile lands and abundant plant life, which attracted both animals and humans.
From that time to this, an unfolding story of life has played out across our valley, our state, our region.
A lot can happen in 12,000 years, says assistant state archaeologist Ron Rood.
Sometimes we take that history for granted. But the study of earlier cultures can be important to our own, says Rood. "The more we learn about earlier cultures, the more we learn about their successes and failures, and, in turn, we find lessons for us."
That's the reasoning behind Utah Prehistory Week, which will be celebrated May 3-10, with a variety of activities going on statewide to call attention to the importance of archaeology and early human history.
This year Prehistory Week is also noting its 20th anniversary, says Rood. "It was started 20 years ago as Utah Archaeology Week. A lot of states started similar things to increase public awareness."
In connection with that anniversary, this year's celebration also includes an art show with photographs, sculptures, ceramics and more inspired by Utah's archaeological and paleontological past.
An open house at the Utah State History building on Saturday, will also feature atlatls and spears, archaeology lab tours, corn-grinding and other activities for both kids and adults. (Tours of Danger Cave and Juke Box Cave in the western desert will also take place, but they have already been filled for this year.)
Rood also recently conducted a one-day seminar on "The Archaeology of Utah," which covered some of the basics of the art and science of archaeology.
It is not a dead science, he says. In fact, "with all the development along the Wasatch Front, new discoveries are happening all the time."
So, in honor of Utah's 20th Annual Prehistory Week celebration, here's a crash course in archaeology — answers to some of the commonly asked questions about what went on before.
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Q: What is archaeology?
A: Archaeology is the study of human history and culture, based on documentation, analysis and interpretation of artifacts and sites.
It is NOT: simply digging and excavating sites, simply collecting artifacts, or much like Hollywood portrays it.
Q: How does archaeology fit in with other sciences?
A: Archaeology is a part of the larger field of anthropology, which is divided into biological anthropology (such things as biological history, physical characteristics, disease, genetics), linguistics (language, evolution of language and relationships) and cultural anthropology (culture, what makes us what we are, exotic differences and subcultures). Archaeology is part of cultural anthropology.
Q: How can you tell how old something is?
A: Artifacts are dated by several methods. Relative dating finds the age of one item in relation to another. This may be done by stratigraphy — what is on top is younger than what is on the bottom — or cross-dating, comparing a similar artifact from one site to one from another site.
A more precise technique is known as absolute dating and includes tree-ring dating, which measures growth by counting tree rings, and radiocarbon dating.
Q: How does radiocarbon dating work?
A: All plants and animals on Earth are made up principally of carbon. A tiny part of the the carbon is called radiocarbon because it is "radioactive." It is also known as C-14. Radiocarbon dating measures the decay of C-14 in an organism. As an organism dies, the ratio of C-14 gradually decreases at a rate of one-half the quantity at death every 5,730 years. So by measuring the quantity of C-14 present, scientists come up with an age.
Charcoal, bone, perishable items, leather, twigs and wood can be dated this way.
Q: What can be learned from the study of ancient bones?
A: Ancient human bones can tell us volumes about the people themselves, including their age at death, perhaps what they died from, diseases and general state of health. New science into DNA may be able to tell us about population movements and the relationships between different groups.
Animal bones tell us about diet, butchering and how animals were processed for food. Animal bones from archaeological sites might also teach us about the season and the year the site was occupied and/or what the climate was like during the occupation.
Q: What can be learned from pieces of pottery?
A: Pottery has been used in Utah for about 2,500 years or so. It teaches us about the technology people used to make the pottery. It teaches us about trade (for example, pottery from one culture found at other sites) and helps us understand the artistic accomplishments of prehistoric people. Residue on pottery can also provide information on foods and how they were prepared.
Q: What is the most telling artifact an archaeologist can find?
A: To an archaeologist, every single artifact from a site is like an archive of information. Each little pottery shard or stone flake or even a seed or a tiny bone fragment are all working together to tell us the story. As a young student said once, "artifacts are like the letters in words in a book." No one letter or artifact is really more important than another. When we look at artifacts together, the story begins to unfold about the past. Granted, some artifacts may be more spectacular or beautiful, but all of them are seen by the archaeologist as equally important.
Q: What is the archaeologist's most important tool?
A: You might think it is a trowel or a shovel or even fancy GPS equipment, but the most important tool is a paper and pencil. Archaeology is not really that much about digging but about the documentation. An archaeological dig actually destroys the part of the archaeological site that is being excavated. Therefore, detailed notes and documentation are a must, and thus a pencil and paper are the most important tools.
Q: When did the first people move into what is now Utah?
A: The first groups, known as Paleo-Indians, moved into the area between 11,000 and 7,500 year ago. They were considered hunters and gatherers. They used stone-tipped spears, various stone tools and some grinding implements. They encountered a wide range of animals, including mammoth, mastodon, horse, camel, bison, birds and fish.
Q: What is the Archaic culture?
A: These were people who lived here between 7,500 and 2,500 years ago. They also were hunters and gatherers. They used atlatls and darts in addition to chipped-stone tools and interacted with a wide range of modern flora and fauna. Archaeological evidence points to use of winter base camps and pit houses.
Q: When did the Fremont culture exist?
A: People known as the Fremont lived over most of Utah some 2,000 to 750 years ago. They were part-time horticulturists and part-time hunters. They had bow-and-arrow technology and lived in pit-house villages.
Q: Were the Fremont a single ethnic group that all spoke the same language?
A: Archaeology can't dig up language. We don't know what language any prehistoric people spoke. The term "Fremont" is a name archaeologists gave to this prehistoric group. They likely spoke different languages but were very much aware of each other, interacted with each other, traded goods and services and likely intermarried. They likely fought against each other and formed alliances with each other, and they all practiced a similar way of life.
Q: Who were the Anasazi?
A: Anasazi sites date to the same time period as the Fremont — 2,000 years ago to 750 years ago — but are restricted to the southern part of Utah, generally south of the Colorado River. They are famous for their monumental architectural features, such as cliff dwellings, as well as black-on-white pottery. For unknown reasons, they abandoned the Four Corners regions around A.D. 1,300.
Q: After the Anasazi left, was Utah devoid of humans?
A: No. Evidence suggests new populations were moving into the Great Basin roughly around A.D. 1,000. They are known as Numic-speaking groups. They demonstrate a return to the hunting and gathering way of life.
Q: When did people start farming and growing corn in Utah?
A: Here in Utah we start to see corn around 2,500 years ago. Maybe a little earlier in the Four Corners area. The Fremont and the Anasazi are the first to really use any sort of domesticated crops, and they did use corn, beans and several varieties of squash.
Q: What are petroglyphs?
A: Petroglyphs are designs and figures created on rock surfaces by chipping, pecking and carving. Along with pictographs, which are painted images, they are known as rock art. Precise meanings of images are unknown. Some people speculate they have to do with rituals and religion, calendars and other facets of life. They may be just art.
Q: What are some of the major archaeological finds in Utah?
A: Danger Cave and Juke Box Cave in the western desert, Headbanger Cave on Antelope Island, Mushroom Springs Site on Antelope Island, the TRAX site at EnergySolutions arena and the prison site in Draper.
Danger Cave, first excavated by Jesse Jennings in 1950, is considered one of the most significant sites in North America.
Q: How are artifacts and sites protected?
A: Archaeological sites are protected by national laws, such as the 1906 Antiquities Act, the 1966 National Historic Preservations Act, the 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, as well as state legislation.
These laws make it illegal to collect and sell artifacts found on any public land in Utah. Artifacts may be collected on private lands, provided you have the owner's permission.
Q: If I find some arrowheads, can I keep them?
A: The Archaeological Resources Protection Act exempts arrowheads, but it is still illegal under other laws to collect them from public lands.
Q: If I find human bones on my land can I keep them?
A: No. If you find human bones or what you think might be human bones, you must call your local law enforcement agency.
Q: What if I want to learn more and get involved in Utah archaeology?
A: To learn more about Utah Prehistory Week and statewide activities, visit www.history.utah.gov/archaeology.
For those who want to get more involved, the Utah Statewide Archaeological Society is a group with chapters in Price, Richfield, Provo, St. George, Cedar City, Moab, Ogden, Vernal, Blanding and Salt Lake City. Chapters meet monthly, with weekend activities scheduled throughout the year. The group also offers newsletters and publications on a regular basis. Opportunities to participate in archaeological projects are made available to members with an interest in gaining hands-on experience.
For more information visit www.utaharchaeology.org.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com