Excavations 1968-1969 | Museum of Anthropology | Washington State University

Washington State University

^{Museum of Anthropology} _{Photoarchives}

Excavations 1968-1969

A view of the rockshelter from the floodplain after a January 1968 snowfall — Rockshelter in the snow, January 1968

This view of the entrance to Marmes Rockshelter from the floodplain shows the informational sign.; The sign reads Marmes Shelter Archaeological Project, Washington State University, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Roald Fryxell, Director, Richard D. Daugherty, Co-Director, Cooperating Agencies U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. National Park Service, National Science Foundation. — The sign at the entrance to the Marmes Rockshelter

The extent of the floodplain seen from above the rockshelter prior to the filling of the reservoir, April 1968 — A view of the floodplain from above the rockshelter, April 1968

Mazama ash layer outside the entrance to the rockshelter, July 1968

Archaeologist Paul Barnes uses heavy equipment to excavate the 20W trench on the floodplain in front of the Marmes Rockshelter, July 1968 — Paul Barnes excavating the 20W trench, July 1968

Archaeologist Bennie Keel shown operating a backhoe to deepen one of the trenches dug on the floodplain outside the Marmes Rockshelter, July 1968. — Bennie Keel on the backhoe July 1968

A view of the main trench on the floodplain from the cliffs above the opening of the rockshelter, July 1968 — Main trench on the floodplain, July 1968

Mazama ash layer in the trench wall, July 1968

A carbon-14 sample shown in place outside the rockshelter, July 1968

Test excavation in the west bulldozer trench to determine whether further work is warranted at that location, July 1968 — Test excavations in the west bulldozer trench, July 1968

A view from the ground surface down into one of the trenches, showing the bullddozer at work, July 1968 — The bulldozer at work July 1968

Fryxell prepared this soil monolith, cut from the sidewall of an excavation unit and permeated with epoxy resin, providing a permanent record of the soil stratigraphy, July 1968 — Soil monolith A, July 1968

The wooden backing for Monolith G is shown here. Monoliths were labeled alphabetically and provenience information was written on the wooden backing, July 1968 — Monolith G, showing the wooden backing, July 1968

Monolith H is shown here with the wooden backing. It was much shorter and wider than most, July 1968 — Monolith H and wooden backing, July 1968

This view of the rockshelter from the floodplain shows the vehicles parked in the camp area, July 1968 — View of the rockshelter, July 1968

The lab for processing artifacts consisted of a two-tone blue housetrailer and a large white canvas tent located on the floodplain, July 1968 — The artifact lab July 1968

A view from above the rockshelter showing the trenches excavated into the floodplain, August 1968 — Excavation of trenches on the floodplain, August 1968

This aerial view shows the trenches excavated into the floodplain below the opening of the Marmes Rockshelter, August 1968 — An aerial view of the floodplain excavations, August 1968

Feature 1 was a collection of large mammal bones, probably elk, found in the trench on the floodplain, August 1968 — Feature 1, large mammal bones, August 1968

A view of the floodplain and the Palouse Canyon from the bluff above the rockshelter, showing the Palouse River August 1968 — View of the floodplain and Palouse Canyon August 1968

A view of the rockshelter and the floodplain from the bluff across the Palouse River, showing the basalt bluffs above the rockshelter August 1968 — A view of the rockshelter and the floodplain from the bluff across the Palouse River, August 1968

Roald Fryxell and Richard Daugherty showing the excavation units to personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. August 1968 — Fryxell and Daugherty with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel, August 1968

Monolith M is shown in the wall of the trench. The darker color of the monolith compared to the soil is the epoxy that was used to stabilize before the wooden backing was applied, October 1968 — Monolith M, October 1968

The crew is applying the wooden backing to the monolith before removing it from the wall of the excavation unit, October 1968. — Monolith N, October 1968

This view of the Palouse Canyon floodplain is taken from the bluff above the rockshelter, September 1968 — View down Palouse Canyon from above the rockshelter, September 1968

Robert Banger recording stratigraphy, September 1968

Tractor moving a house, October 1968

Monolith K, October 1968

Monolith L, October 1968

Excavators working in the trenches on the floodplain in November 1968 as the anticipated flooding of the Lower Monumental reservoir approached. — A closeup of excavation on the floodplain, November 1968

Stratigrapher at work on the trench wall, November 1968

Levee under construction, November 1968

Progress on the levee, November 1968

This view of the floodplain shows the vehicle and trailers which made up the "village" where the crew lived and processed the artifacts and samples taken from the rockshelter, November 1968 — A view of the floodplain showing the “village” site, November 1968

This view of the trenches from above shows the accumulation of water at the bottoms after a heavy rain in November of 1968 — Progress on the floodplain after a heavy rain, November 1968

This view shows heavy equipment leveling the surface of the floodplain in preparation for the building of the coffer dam to protect the site, November 1968 — Moving earth on the floodplain, November 1968

Senator Warren Magnuson and other dignitaries attended the dedication of the Marmes Rockshelter in November 1968 — Senator Warren Magnuson (left) and others at the dedication of the Marmes Rockshelter, November 1968

Heavy equipment continued to level the floodplain in preparation for the building of the coffer dam to protect the site, November 1968 — Leveling the floodplain, November 1968

A view of vehicles, equipment, and trailers on the floodplain, November 1968; — Machinery and the “Village” on the floodplain, November 1968

Fryxell created "soil peels' using large squares of cheesecloth and latex for adhesive. This view shows the cheesecloth glued onto the wall of a unit, November 1968 — Creating a latex soil peel, November 1968

Roald Fryxell working on a latex soil peel, November 1968

The completed soil peel on the ground, before mounting on a board, November 1968 — A latex soil peel, November 1968

This view from above the floodplain shows the outline of where the coffer dam would be constructed, November 1968 — Construction of the coffer dam, November 1968

Construction of the levee for the coffer dam, November 1968

Excavation continued even after the first snow in December 1968 — First snow at the site, December 1968

Archaeological excavation continued in the trenches on the floodplain, even in the cold and snow of December 1968. — Floodplain excavations, December 1968

Excavators continued to live and work at the field camp in an effort to complete the excavation and recording. This view shows the field camp and the lab in December 1968 — Field Lab in the snow, December 1968

A view of the field camp and the lab, January 1968 — The field camp, January 1969

Heavy equipment working on the levee of the coffer dam, January 1969 — Working on the levee, January 1969

As the flooding of the reservoir approached, teams lined the trenches with plastic sheeting, January 1969. — Lining the trenches with plastic sheeting, January 1969

The area directly in front of the rockshelter is draped in plastic sheeting while heavy equipment levels the surface of the floodplain. The coffer dam is seen in the background rising above the floodplain, February 1969. — Preparing the entrance to the Marmes Rockshelter for the flooding of the reservoir, February 1969

The plastic-lined trenches were backfilled with soil to protect the excavated surfaces, February 1969. — Backfilling the trenches, February 1969

The trenches in the floodplain were completely filled and the surface was smoothed using heavy equipment, February 1969 — Backfilled floodplain surface, February 1969

A view of the coffer dam built to keep the reservoir away from the Marmes Rockshelter and the floodplain in front of it, February 1969; — A view of the coffer dam, February 1969

As the water rushed into the reservoir from the Palouse River, seen here, the reservoir began to fill, but so did the area behind coffer dam, February 1969 — Filling the reservoir, February, 1969

This aerial view of the coffer dam built to protect the Marmes Rockshelter from the rising Lower Monumental Reservoir shows the water that rose inside the coffer dam and ; — An aerial view of the coffer dam at Marmes Rockshelter, June 1969

The coffer dam built to hold back the waters of the Lower Monumental Reservoir was ineffective, and the entrance to the rockshelter was flooded and is ony partially visible — The flooded entrance of the Marmes Rockshelter, July 1969