Champoeg Archaeology

A park ranger holds a pole up to show the high water mark of
various floods- the 1861 flood is indicated at the top of the pole.

Champoeg State Park hosted an archaeological dig, and the public was invited for free tours.  We jumped at the chance to see real archeologists at work.  We learned that the town site at Champoeg by the Willamette River was swept away by a devastating flood in 1861, leaving very little behind. The wooden buildings were not constructed with foundations, and simply floated away.  But it's of interest because it's at this site that the first government in Oregon was formed in 1843.  They explained that a few years ago, a farmer plowed too close to the town site by mistake and unearthed an unusual number of artifacts.  Upon examining the ground, they determined that the home of Robert Newell and his family once stood at this location.  Mr. Newell played an important role in the first Oregon government. Oregon State University decided it would be an excellent place for a dig.  But as they began to work, they discovered evidence that this home had been occupied earlier and was once the home of John Ball, the first American to farm in the Pacific Northwest.  His journals indicate he was kind of a cranky guy, and wasn't too fond of his neighbors (French fur trappers and their Native American wives)  and built his home some distance from the town itself.  When we visited, they had already unearthed more than 20,000 artifacts, carefully cataloging each one.  They explained that they are recording as many details as possible about the objects, because even if some bit of information isn't immediately useful, it may become useful as new tools for analysis emerge. The soil is carefully sectioned into a grid so that the exact location where everything is found can be mapped in three dimensions.  Spots where artifacts are located are first marked with brightly colored nails, and then carefully cleaned and removed.  All the soil that is removed is then shifted through a screen, which reveals any tiny objects they may have overlooked.  We were given an up-close view of their work, and a look at many of the tiny objects they have unearthed.  Our guide emphasized that history is often perceived as the story of great people, politics, and war, and ordinary peoples' stories are not told.  But their stories are often fascinating and crucial to understanding our past.  

One student shovels dirt, and another sifts it carefully.

A student shows Jasper some of the pottery and tools that have been unearthed.

Pipe stems.  Pipes were considered disposable.

Nails mark the spots where objects are embedded.

Queen Anne's lace.

Markers show where the town's streets used to be.

Jasper ran around catching grasshoppers.

A marker shows the spot where the vote was cast in favor of forming a government in Oregon.