Ranch treasures on display at U.

The public will get a first glimpse of treasures from the newly announced Range Creek archaeological district today when the Utah Museum of Natural History holds its annual "What's in the Basement" program.

Duncan Metcalfe, curator of archaeology at the museum, said he plans to set up a table "with a range of artifacts" for the public to see while a PowerPoint presentation plays on a computer in the background.

"They'll include some ceramics, stone tools and some of the organic material that we've recovered," he said.

Basketry and cordage, fragments of both decorated and plain gray pottery, arrowheads and two-faced tools like knives will be available for inspection.

"We haven't done any excavations" at Range Creek, Metcalfe added, but during surveys of the surface material, some material was collected for study, and the artifacts visitors will see are among those.

Members of the public knew little about Range Creek until June when state officials announced Utah had taken possession of the Wilcox ranch, about 130 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. The ranch had been sold by Waldo Wilcox to a public land trust group for $2.5 million, with much of the money a federal appropriation. Then the state acquired it.

The thousands of acres include an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 archaeological sites, largely in pristine condition. Much of the preliminary action was done quietly to prevent an onslaught by illegal pot-hunters while details were worked out.

When the acquisition was announced, state archaeologist Kevin Jones said a management plan was being developed, which should allow for public visits.

Metcalfe said he was "both excited and nervous" about today's display of Range Creek artifacts.

During the "What's in the Basement" event, many other objects will be displayed that are not usually seen by visitors to the museum, located on President's Circle at the top of 200 South. In fact, only 1 percent of the more than 1 million items in the museum are on regular display because of the lack of exhibition space.

Regular admission prices will apply to the event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., said spokeswoman Patti Carpenter.

Other highlights include:

• Shells from the 35,000-item collection of marine, fresh water and land mollusks. Many of the creatures represented in the collection are extinct.

• Thousand-year-old water pitchers, bowls and drinking mugs from archaeological excavations.

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