2000 DECEMBER
 CLOVIS CULTURE
 THE CLOVIS CULTURE IS THE OLDEST RECOGNIZED CULTURAL TRADITION IN NORTH AMERICA DATING TO APPROXIMATELY 14,000 YEARS AGO
 

EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE
DOUGLAS CO., WASHINGTON
OWNED BY STATE OF WASHINGTON

    One of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries ever made in the study of Early Paleo bone and stone artifacts occurred near East Wenatchee, Washington in 1987. The site is located in an apple orchard near the Columbia River in central Washington. The initial find was made by workers who were digging a ditch for an irrigation pipe line.
   Until the East Wenatchee Clovis site was discovered the northwest was an area practically unknown for any significant Clovis discoveries. Clovis sites can be divided into four basic types. They are camp sites with little or no stone tool manufacturing, camp sites that were near a raw material source that produced new stone tools and large waste flakes, kill sites and cache sites. By far the rarest of these are the kill and cache sites. Kill sites are always associated with extinct animals such as mammoths, mastodons, etc. Cache sites have produced some of the best examples of Clovis artifacts discovered so far.
    When this site was first discovered in 1987 and the land was owned by two people it was called the Richey/Roberts site. Later when Dr. Mack Richey acquired his partner's share it was called the Richey site. Presently it's known as the East Wenatchee Clovis site. So this site may be referred to as any one of these different names in literature over the past several years.
   Each of the few Clovis caches that have been found have some unique characteristics. The East Wenatchee Clovis site is famous for its extremely large Clovis points. Up until the discovery, known Clovis points were no where near the size of these points. The largest point in the Drake cache from Colorado is about 6 1/2 inches long and the longest in the Fenn (Utah) and Anzick (Montana) cache are about 6 inches long. Although there is one unfinished late stage preform Clovis point in the Fenn cache that is about 8 1/4 inches long. Five of the Wenatchee Clovis points are above 8 inches in length and at least two or three are 9 inches and above. Number 1990.1 measures 9 1/8 inches long and is the largest of the fourteen Clovis points found.
   Another large Clovis point from the area called the "Rutz" Clovis (CLICK HERE) was brought to light when the owners read an article about the Wenatchee site in National Geographic magazine. This point was found several years earlier on a high plateau approximately ten miles from Wenatchee. It's made of rainbow Obsidian and measures 9 3/4 inches long making it the largest Clovis point known to date.
   Bone preservation at the East Wenatchee Clovis site was very good. Very few organic artifacts made of either bone, antler Ivory or shell have survived from this early  time period. West of the Mississippi River this Clovis site has produced more artifacts of this type than any other. The River sites in Florida have produced the majority of finds east of the Mississippi River. The most unique find at Wenatchee was the cache of thirteen bone rods made from proboscidean (mammoth) limb bones. Although their purpose has yet to be proven, several theories have been suggested. Everything from sled runners, foreshafts and flintknapping tools have been discussed as possible uses. There was one engraved bone rod in this cache (CLICK HERE) that had engraving similar to a Clovis bone spear point found in Sheridan Cave in Ohio. It measures slightly over 10 1/4 inches long.
   Several different types of artifacts were found on this site. In addition to the bone artifacts there were 14 Clovis spear points, 8 bifacial knives (flaked on both sides), 7 fluted point preforms, 4 prismatic blades, a 5 side-scrapers and one graver. The preforms could have served as knives until they were eventually finished into Clovis points. These stone artifacts represent basic Clovis tools that have been found on other sites in the western United States.
   During the excavation of the East Wenatchee Clovis site controversy arose concerning the possibility that it may be a burial site and many believed it should not have been disturbed. The Anzick Clovis cache in Montana was found with a child burial so the suggestion that this site was also a burial was a plausible theory. But was still unproven at the end of the excavation. Even though bone preservation on this site was good no human bone or teeth were ever found.
Gramly, R.M. 1993, "The Richey Clovis Cache"

 

Largest Wenatchee Clovis point back lighted.
CLOVIS POINT #1990.1
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE----WASHINGTON STATE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
PHOTO CREDIT & COPYRIGHT--DR. R.M. GRAMLY

   Held in the hand and back lighted from a window this is the largest Clovis point found in the cache. Here it is being washed in distilled water.

 


CLOVIS POINTS
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE---WASHINGTON STATE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
PHOTO CREDIT AND COPYRIGHT  DR. R.M. GRAMLY

   The picture on the left shows the excavation of the largest Clovis point, number 1990.1, found on the site. It is laying on another point just below it. The other objects at the top are metal cut outs that represent previously excavated Clovis points.
   The picture on the right shows all the Clovis points found on the East Wenatchee Clovis site. They are made of banded and variegated agates from local outcrops of this beautiful stone.

Two Wenatchee Clovis points showing patinated side.
LARGE CLOVIS POINTS
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE----WASHINGTON STATE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
 CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE

   This picture shows the patinated side of numbers 325 and 326 Clovis points.

 

Largest Wenatchee Clovis point.   Both sides of best example of Wenatchee Clovis point.
 LARGE CLOVIS POINTS
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE---WASHINGTON STATE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
CLICK ON EACH PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE

   These two Clovis points, 1990.1 and 326, are shown double exposed so both the patinated and clean sides can be seen. The Clovis point on the left was the largest found in the cache. The one on the right is one of the best examples in the cache.

Three Wenatchee Clovis tools.
MISCELLANEOUS CLOVIS BONE AND STONE ARTIFACTS
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE---WASHINGTON STATE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

   The bone rod on the left is one of approximately 13 found in this cache. They represent some of the most important artifacts discovered on the site. Theories for their use range from sled runners to flintknapping tools and foreshafts. The stone artifact at the top is a core remnant that may have been used as a tool of some sort. The large uniface tool at the lower right is the largest (6 3/8 inches) side-end scraper found on the site. It's made of Jasper.


CORE REMNANT--TOOL
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE--WASHINGTON
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE
OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

   This core remnant may have been used as a tool of some sort. It has been suggested that its intended use was as an adze. (Gramly, R.M., 1993, pp43).


SIDE-SCRAPER
EAST WENATCHEE CLOVIS SITE---WASHINGTON
 OWNED BY THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE IMAGE

   This is one of five side-scrapers found on the Wenatchee Clovis site. This one was found in feature #2 a few meters east of the main cache. It's made of agate and measures 4 1/4 inches long.

was as an adze. (Gramly, R.M., 1993, pp 43)

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