Rimrock Draw Rockshelter and modern archaeology
By Logan Bagett on Thursday, April 11th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Featured Stories More Top Stories
BURNS – Burns BLM District Archaeologist Dr. Pat O’Grady was on KJDY’s Coffee Time Thursday with host Logan Bagett and discussed the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter archaeological site in Harney County.
Dr. O’Grady reminded listeners that stone tools and bone fragments of Ice Age mammals were found at the site, dating back longer than 18,000 years before present. He said modern technology allows data to be gathered in a manner that causes little disturbance to the site:
“We can do more with a cubic foot of dirt in an archaeological site in terms of chemistry, environmental D.N.A, identification of different kinds of plant remains…all sorts of those studies that can be done on a small sample of sediment. In the decades past, it would take maximum amounts of excavation and removal to get any results at all.
We can work at these sites and get important information, and then be able to preserve portions of the site…”
Listen to the full podcast with Dr. O’Grady below:
