The Miwuk Band of Native Americans, in collaboration with CalTrans, has been conducting an anthropological dig off Highway 88 in Pioneer. The dig is part of an effort to mitigate the impacts of widening the highway, which will effectively pave over part of the historical site located on the south side of 88, just past Defender Grade Road. Several members of the Calaveras and Ione bands of Miwuk Indians were on site, actively involved in the project, including Debra Grimes and Adam Lewis of the Calaveras band, and George Gurion of the Ione Band. Grimes says that they have known about this site for some time and wants to make sure that the area is investigated before the CalTrans project takes place. An anthropological research firm was brought in to supervise the dig. Jeff Rosenthal of Far Western in Davis says that the artifacts being discovered are significant due to the fact that “we don’t have much from this time period,” which was between 600 to 1000 years ago. During that time, the Sierra Nevada experienced a drought, which forced many of the tribe higher into the conifer forest regions. Also of significance during that time is that the Miwuk Indians went from eating mostly pine nuts to making the acorn their main food staple, which Rosenthal calls “the acorn economy.” Recovered from the dig were quartz arrowheads, tools, mortars, grinding rocks, and cooking rocks, which were used to more efficiently heat food. The dig will be finished this week and Grimes says they hope to put together a presentation for local school children on the artifacts recovered and the history of the Miwuk tribe.
Thursday, 19 June 2008 04:11
Miwuk Band Conducts Anthropological Dig
The Miwuk Band of Native Americans, in collaboration with CalTrans, has been conducting an anthropological dig off Highway 88 in Pioneer. The dig is part of an effort to mitigate the impacts of widening the highway, which will effectively pave over part of the historical site located on the south side of 88, just past Defender Grade Road. Several members of the Calaveras and Ione bands of Miwuk Indians were on site, actively involved in the project, including Debra Grimes and Adam Lewis of the Calaveras band, and George Gurion of the Ione Band. Grimes says that they have known about this site for some time and wants to make sure that the area is investigated before the CalTrans project takes place. An anthropological research firm was brought in to supervise the dig. Jeff Rosenthal of Far Western in Davis says that the artifacts being discovered are significant due to the fact that “we don’t have much from this time period,” which was between 600 to 1000 years ago. During that time, the Sierra Nevada experienced a drought, which forced many of the tribe higher into the conifer forest regions. Also of significance during that time is that the Miwuk Indians went from eating mostly pine nuts to making the acorn their main food staple, which Rosenthal calls “the acorn economy.” Recovered from the dig were quartz arrowheads, tools, mortars, grinding rocks, and cooking rocks, which were used to more efficiently heat food. The dig will be finished this week and Grimes says they hope to put together a presentation for local school children on the artifacts recovered and the history of the Miwuk tribe.
