archaeology

The writing on the Mano de Irulegi was not immediately apparent when it came out of the ground and only revealed itself to researchers after they

Archaeological artifact sheds light on mysterious Basque language

Julie Luchetta

A new archaeological discovery announced in November has rocked the Basque community. The hand of Irulegi, found on a dig near Pamplona is shedding new light on the origins of the Basque language and its people who wasted no time turning the artifact into memes.

A man in a red shirt and cowboy hat stands in a pit surrounded by red dirt, looking at something in his hand. An orange Home Depot bucket sits in front of him.

Open Spaces

A study confirms the oldest red ocher mine in North and South America is in Southeastern Wyoming

Kamila Kudelska

Archeological excavations led by Wyoming's state archaeologist and UW researchers have confirmed that an ancient mine in Southeastern Wyoming was used nearly 13,000 years ago to collect red ocher. This discovery means that the Powars II site is the oldest documented red ocher mine and the oldest mine in North and South America. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska spoke with Wyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton on the discovery.

Natural Resources & Energy

Archaeologist presents findings on Native artifacts in Wind River Range and warns against looting

Caitlin Tan

An analysis of archaeological research focusing on the mass amounts of Native American artifacts in the northern end of the Wind River Range was presented to the public for the first time Tuesday night, May 17, in Pinedale.

Outline of bison on top of a Wyoming mountain background scene.

Education

Meeteetse Museums Invites The Public To Help Butcher A Bison With Stone Tools

Kamila Kudelska

The Meeteetse Museums will be butchering a bison with stone tools at the end of October. The event is part of the Meeteetse Museums' ongoing Bison of the Bighorn Basin Project where the museum is collecting and researching historic bison skulls found in the area.

Open Spaces

New Method May Help Find Ancient Artifacts In Wyoming

Ashley Piccone

Tiger chert is a stone that formed about 50 million years ago in Wyoming and the surrounding region, and artifacts made from the rock are found around the…

Science

Prehistoric Mine Preserved In Sunrise, Wyoming

Ashley Piccone

An ochre mine in Sunrise, Wyoming may be one of the earliest mining sites in North America. Archaeologists have been working to preserve the mine, called…

The atlatl is used to throw arrows, darts and flexible spears. Enthusiasts say it's a controlled movement, with no running start or leap required.

Natural Resources & Energy

Rifle, Crossbow, Atlatl? Colorado Petition Seeks To Legalize Hunting With Spear-Thrower

Rae Ellen Bichell

Update November 15, 2019 at 3:30p.m.: According to Travis Duncan with Colorado Parks and Wildlife: "The commission voted to dismiss both citizen...

Archaeologists excavating one of the Ancestral Puebloan pit houses in the path of the new highway

Tribal News

Near Durango, A Highway Will Bulldoze Indigenous History

Ali Budner

Rapid population growth in the Mountain West means new infrastructure. Under federal law , potential sites for things like road expansions must be...

Natural Resources & Energy

One Theory On The Extinction Of Mammoths

Kamila Kudelska

Thousands of years ago, Wyoming was home to mammoths. Archeologists have been studying interactions between the first humans and last mammoths in the…

Artifacts from the archaeological dig near Durango

Seven Ancestral Puebloan Sites Unearthed In Southwestern Colorado

Ali Budner

An archaeological dig in the Mountain West has unearthed several giant sites of Native American ruins. The dig is happening in advance of planned...