Kids dig into archaeological field school

Ten Utah elementary students will begin working as archaeologists a week from today, braving heat, bugs and dust near Point of the Mountain to unearth a site dating back at least 3,000 years.

They are volunteers who signed up for the annual Archaeological Field School for Kids, sponsored by the Utah Division of State History. All openings are filled this year, but interested students should keep in mind that the field school probably will be operating next year, too.

"I'm looking forward to seeing all the older things and seeing what the older things look like," said Casey Koldewyn, about to go into sixth grade at Escalante Elementary School, 1810 W. 900 North. These artifacts, she said, should be "different from the newer things at the Mushroom Springs site."

Like some other student volunteers chosen for the dig, Casey is a veteran of last year's field school, held at the Mushroom Springs site on Antelope Island. That location dates to the Fremont Culture, which is relatively recent.

The "Prison Site" where they will be working — called that because it's not far from Utah State Prison in Draper — dates back to the Archaic Period. Workers found it around 1991 during a highway survey.

"The site is quite ancient. It is probably 3,000 to 4,000 years old," said Ron Rood, the assistant state archaeologist who will be supervising the dig. He believes it may be the last unexcavated Archaic site along the Wasatch Front.

Besides digging, screening dirt, mapping, photographing and other archaeological chores, the students will study mathematics, zoology, botany, wetlands, creative writing and art — skills that an archaeologist needs.

They will work alongside a couple of professional archaeologists and volunteers from the Utah Statewide Archaeological Society, Rood said. After two weeks in the field, the youngsters will help out for about a week in the section's lab at the old Rio Grande Depot, 300 S. 455 West.

During preliminary examinations, "We found a little bit of bone in our work so far," Rood said. The bones apparently indicate the food that the ancients fed on: "large mammals and maybe some birds," he said.

With luck, some sort of plant remains may be discovered among hearths, and "I wouldn't be too surprised if we found some fish bones. ...