Archaeology Field Schools

The Cooper's Ferry Site
Lower Salmon Canyon, Western Idaho

June 17 - August 9, 2013
With Dr. Loren Davis

ANTH 438/538

OSU Archaeology Field School, led by Dr. Loren Davis, will be returning to resume excavations at the Cooper's Ferry site in the summer of 2013. The Cooper's Ferry site is located in the beautiful lower Salmon River canyon of western Idaho and contains some of the earliest evidence of humans in the Pacific Northwest.

Previous excavations show that the Cooper's Ferry site contains a long record of repeated human occupation, beginning with a Western Stemmed Tradition assemblage associated with radiocarbon dates of 11,370 and 11,410 ¹⁴C years BP. These dates are controversial and, if true, support arguments that peoples bearing the Clovis tradition were not the first to settle the Far West. Our upcoming work at the site will build upon the exciting information collected already and will seek to address many archaeological questions related to the evolution of technology, economic patterns, and environmental conditions during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene period (ca. 13,000-13,000 cal BP). Ultimately, the OSU excavations at Cooper's Ferry will hopefully contribute critical data to answer many questions about the first peoples of the Pacific Northwest and, by extension, the Americas.

Join us to learn professional archaeological excavation, recordation, and field curation skills as we seek clues about the first peoples of Far Western North America. Students will also get an introduction to landscape and site-level approaches to geoarchaeological study--perspectives that are important in the search for and study of the First Americans. Current OSU students and non-OSU students are welcome to apply. Apply soon to be a part of the 2013 OSU expedition to the Cooper's Ferry site.

Be sure to check out the many Cooper's Ferry Videos and visit the Department of Anthropology website for additional details and an application form.