Archeologists have discovered evidence dating back more than 18,000 years ago that could mean Oregon is home to one of the oldest human occupied sites in North America.
The Rimrock Draw Rockshelter outside of Riley in Central Oregon has been home to excavation efforts since 2011.
“It’s not so much that we have such old dates, but that we’re getting consistent results,” archaeologist Patrick O’Grady, who led the excavation, said. “This site is beautiful in that sense because … for the past 11 years, we’re actually seeing something that’s preserved through time that dates from about 7,000 years back to 18,000 years. And that’s magic.”
Camel teeth, orange agate scrapers discovered
Over the years, stone tools and tooth fragments from extinct mammals were found by the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History Archaeological Field School. The teams, led by O’Grady, have been excavating through an official partnership agreement with the Bureau of Land Management.
