Digging through history

Tribal archaeological site excavated near Beatty

Artifacts indicate human presence 1,500 years ago

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Brandon Berg, right, and Matt Cady sort through earth removed during an archaeological dig east of Beatty Friday morning. The University of Oregon sponsored the dig with help from the Klamath Tribes.

By TY BEAVER

H&N Staff Writer

October 6, 2007

   BEATTY — Deborah Herrera grew up in this small eastern Klamath County town on Highway 140. 

   She remembers playing and swimming in the river east of town and the birthday parties there. A descendant of the Modoc, Yahooskin and Paiute tribes, her grandfather was given an allotment of land near the town in the early 20th century. 

   Herrera was back at her childhood home this fall. She joined other tribal members and researchers from the University of Oregon to excavate a tribal historic site that straddles a dangerous curve of Highway 140 that state transportation officials want to improve. 

   The last day of the four week dig was Friday. 

   Testing of artifacts from the site indicate that people lived there as far back as 1,500 years ago. 

   One portion of the site has primarily prehistoric significance while another portion is the location of potential homes built on top of prehistoric remains, said Pat O’Grady, staff archaeologist. 

   Artifacts found include obsidian flakes called debitage and bone and shell fragments. Arrowheads were unearthed as well as blue beads and even fish scales. 

   “Whatever they found out here I wanted to witness first hand,” Herrera said. 

   The state first sought to improve the highway curve in the 1970s, which is when artifacts were discovered during land surveys. The 35-mph curve is a regular site for accidents because vehicles don’t slow down enough to make the turn safely, said Tom Connolly, University of Oregon research director.

   The discovery of artifacts combined with the presence of wetlands and fish spawning grounds complicated efforts to improve the highway.

The dig

   University researchers led the dig, but tribal members formed a portion of those sifting through soil and cataloging artifacts.

   Herrera on Friday worked alongside her daughter, Bonner Moses, and cousin Taarna Herrera, at the site. 

   Herrera has a degree in museum studies, but never had a chance to do archaeological or paleontological work so she told tribal leaders she wanted to work on the dig when it happened. 

   All three women made adjustments to work on the site. Herrera was given four weeks off from her job at Klamath Crisis Center to participate. Her daughter drives to and from Klamath Falls each day so she can be with her children. 

   Taarna drove from Florence for the dig. She’s earning college credit and plans to attend University of Oregon this winter to study physical archaeology. 

   Mario Samson is another tribal member working on the site. Usually a construction and mill worker, he said he’s had to adjust his ethic of digging quickly instead of delicately. 

   All tribal members on the site and others received cultural resource technician training from the Tribes. However, disturbing tribal remains isn’t something all tribal members want to do. 

   “We’re not a people that digs into the past,” Samson said. 

   Future studies 

   But the having the skills to conduct excavations and studies such as this are valuable, tribal members said. This way the Tribes can rely its own members to conduct research. 

   Researchers said they expected to return in the dig and continue their work and tribal members working with them said they plan to return as well. 

   Acknowledging that road construction will likely follow at the curve someday, Samson said he hopes his and others’ work at the site will lead to other cooperative projects with the Tribes. 

   “I just hope people understand that just because they took something they can’t be respectful,” he said.

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Patrick O’Grady, left, staff archaeologist with the University of Oregon , and Suhn Harrington, a Klamath Tribes member from Chiloquin, take part in a dig outside of Beatty Friday.

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