Archaeologists work to unearth Oklahoma's history

Artifacts shed light on human life in the Oklahoma area thousands of years ago.



BY TIFFANY BROWN
Gruber, a biological anthropologist who co-owns Open Range Archaeology in Moore, has dug up bodies buried deep within the earth. She has found evidence of cremations, burn pits and shells.

The possibility of finding ancient artifacts frequently forces the completion of archaeological surveys before work can begin on major projects.

She found a burial site in Phoenix on land planned for a Home Depot.

“The site was really cool,” she said. “I got to do what I was trained to do.”

Robert Brooks, of the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, said important artifacts often are given to museums.

“We have over 25,000 sites in our files that have been covered over the years,” he said. “We recover both prehistoric sites as well as historic ones.”

Fossils and artifacts found in Oklahoma date to the Paleo-Indian period, more than 10,000 years ago, while others are as recent as the Dust Bowl. Some sites are evaluated for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
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