Norton Point, Shoshone National Forest


History:   The mountains of Wyoming have been home to many groups of people for that last 13,000 years. The physical record of these people’s lives – the archaeological record – is rich and complex, but under a variety of threats. One of these, wildland fire, is becoming more common and the range of impacts that a burn can produce are only beginning to be recognized. Obviously, wooden structures such as cabins or prehistoric sheep traps are at extreme risk from fire. Less obvious, however, are the dangers posed to the near-surface archaeology represented by stone tools, animal bones, and other artifacts.

Location:  Double Cabin area, Wiggins Fork, Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming

Directions: North on Horse Creek road off of US Highway 26 at intersection in downtown Dubois. Travel about 27 miles alongHorse Creek Road to Double Cabin campground.

Scope of Work:  During the summer of 2011, the Norton Point fire burned 23,592 acres on the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. The fire exposed cultural artifacts and features that were once hidden by vegetation. These exposed cultural resources are threatened by natural and human-caused impacts. Archaeological inventories are needed in this area to determine and define cultural resources in the fire area, and assess impacts and threats to the resources exposed by fire.

Volunteers will learn to:

    Conduct in-field analysis of stone tools and lithic debris
    Identify surface archaeological materials
    Measure and document items and map GPS locations

Dates:  1st session: July 30th-August 3rd             

2nd session: August 4th-8th

More info here.