Editorial

Digging up the area's past

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Recreationalists and irrigators have missed out on benefits from water in Hugh Butler Lake, but the problems with Red Willow Dam have resulted in a better view of the area's past.

Archaeologists from the University of Nebraska recently finished a summer session working at a site uncovered by the lake draw-down, showing that roaming hunter-gatherers stopped in the area sometime between 200 B.C. and 1200 A.D.

They have found signs of fire pits, along with bison bone, prehistoric stone tools and chipping debris, probably used for roasting plants or processing bone grease from the bison, according to one of the researchers.

They plan to continue the archeological survey over the next four years, according to NET News.

You can read the story and listen to the interviews at KVNO's website, http://www.kvnonews.com/2011/08/archaeology-dig-seeks-clues-to-nebraskas-prehist...

Comments
View 6 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • I would hope the federal government would direct funding to fix the dam and fill the lake faster than 4 years.

    -- Posted by dennis on Thu, Aug 11, 2011, at 3:02 PM
  • Great, now they won't be able to fill it up because it's an archaeological site.

    -- Posted by McCook1 on Thu, Aug 11, 2011, at 4:17 PM
  • Actually filling the lake will be the best way to preserve the archaeological sights from looting.

    Further more, south west Nebraska is a vurtual treasure trove of pre-historic sights. They have been finding treasures on the Medicine Creek drainage area for decades.

    My husband has one named after him there.

    Peace

    Karen

    -- Posted by kaygee on Thu, Aug 11, 2011, at 4:30 PM
  • Direct funding with what money? The federal government is bankrupt because of people like you. I can't hardly believe how skewed dennis is on this. I would "hope" that dennis would seek professional help with this addiction to federal money. This person looks to the federal government for everything and I am surprised he can actually get out of bed every morning without calling the feds.

    Would the money used by both the local and federal government for the Keystone Business Center, which by the way has effectively lost the anchor tenant (21CSI) and created no long term jobs, been more wisely used to repair the dam?

    On all levels of government this country needs to a better job of prioritizing the use of tax dollars because that is why we have the financial problems we have today. Too many people view tax dollars as 'free money' and therefore there is no accountability. Look around you McCook, there are a lot of projects that should have been moved down on the priority list.

    -- Posted by sleeper on Fri, Aug 12, 2011, at 5:48 AM
  • McCook1..This is the second time this site has been explored. The first was during construction of the dam.

    -- Posted by TravRN on Tue, Aug 16, 2011, at 11:50 PM
  • Sleeper

    Just so you know...

    My husband and I absorbed 75% of the cost of our dig. We did it because we cared and we learned something about the world around us.

    Most arechelogical digs happen that way.

    We are so very sorry if we ask you to invest in education in any way.

    Wouldnt want you to actually learn about any thing!!!

    -- Posted by kaygee on Thu, Aug 18, 2011, at 12:04 AM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: