THE HUNT FOR OLD DIRT

They've held “Prehistoric Artifact Road Shows,” collecting priceless information from farmers, ranchers and hikers who have lived in the area for generations and who know the land intimately. They've coordinated their efforts with USU's Optically–Stimulated Luminescence Laboratory, gathering all the dirt on, well…dirt. They're digging on land owned — amazingly enough — by three generations of Aggies, and right now they're thrilled to be holding 12,000– to 8,000–year–old Paleoindian artifacts in their own hands. The brainchild of Archaeologist Dr. Bonnie Pitblado (center), director of the USU Museum of Anthropology, USU's Summer Archaeology Field School is turning up all sorts of stuff on 57 targeted sites in Northern Utah and Southeastern Idaho, sites of unparalled, untapped potential. Students (about half of whom are Aggies, half from other institutions like Penn State, Gonzaga and Cornell) are finding spear points, scrapers and other tools marked by “distinct chronologic and geographic signatures” that suggest people with connections to the Columbia Plateau, Great Basin, Central Rockies and Great Plains all used the area in some sort of compelling confluence. And USU senior Shannyn Davis (left) and colleague Barbara Webster (right), a Gonzaga alum seeking graduate credit, know the experience is irreplaceable. “This is real–world cool,” says Davis. “It's so exciting to be a part of human history.” There's more to learn, too. For starters, try digging in to http://www.usu.edu/anthro/museum/.