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Manis Mastodon Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Drawing of a mastodon skeleton by Rembrandt Peale
Drawing of a mastodon skeleton by Rembrandt Peale
Nearest city: Sequim, Washington
Added to NRHP: March 21, 1978
NRHP Reference#: 78002736

[1]
Governing body: Private

The Manis Mastondon site is the 2-acre (1 ha) site of an archaeological dig on the Olympic Peninsula near Sequim, Washington, USA. During the dig, the remains of an American mastodon, which had a projectile made of antler embedded in its rib. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Contents

[edit] History

On August 8, 1977, a farmer named Emanuel Manis was excavating his property with a backhoe, when he found the tusks of an American mastodon.[2] After making several calls, Manis soon had an archaeological dig on his property, led by Dr. Carl Gustafson of Washington State University. On the first day of digging, a rib bone was excavated, that had what appeared to be a spear point made of antler embedded in it. The "spear point" had bone grown around it, indicating that the point had not caused the mastodon's death.[3] Because of this, Gustafson deemed the point the earliest known evidence of interaction between humans and mastodons. However, there is no consensus in the archaeological field as to whether or not this is provable,[4] because of the lack of indisputable proof that the point was made by humans.[5] Along with the point, Gustafson analyzed the position of the 6,800-kilogram (14,991 lb)[3] fossil, which was lying on its left side, while the skull, which was heavily fragmented, and rotated 180 degrees from its natural position. Noting that this could not have occurred due to natural causes, Gustafson deduced that the carcass must have been tampered with by humans.[6] In addition to the possible evidence of human-mastodon interaction, archaeologists were surprised to find a mastodon in the area at all, because pollen samples that were taken showed no evidence of trees, which mastodons fed on.[7]

In an excavated layer above the mastodon, as well as that of a 6,700 year-old deposit of ash from the eruption of Mount Mazama, a projectile-point was found in the style of Coastal Olcott points common in the area no earlier than 9,000 years ago.[8]

The site also turned up remains of caribou, bison, and plant macrofossils.[9] Bones of the bison showed evidence of butchering by humans.[10] The pollen found in the same layer as the mastodon was predominantly sedge and cattail, while other layers contained that of plants ranging from Canadian buffaloberry, blackberry and wild rose, to willow and alder.[11]

In 2002, on the 25th anniversary of the discovery, Manis' widow donated the site to the Archaeological Conservancy.[4]

"probably was thrown with an atlatl" because of its depth. [12]

"Until discovery of the Sequim mastodon with its date of at least 12,000 B.P., "early" sites west of the Cascades were considered those from about 9,000 to 6,000 B.P."[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ Barton 2002, p. 50
  3. ^ a b Barton 2002, p. 51
  4. ^ a b Tom Paulson (August 9, 2002). Still unresolved: The puzzle of the mastodon's bones. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
  5. ^ McMillan 1999, p. 104
  6. ^ Bergland 1988, p. 21
  7. ^ Barton 2002, p. 55
  8. ^ Bergland 1988, p. 27
  9. ^ Kenneth L. Petersen; Peter J. Mehringer, Jr.; Carl E. Gustafson (September 1983). "Late-glacial vegetation and climate at the Manis Mastodon site, Olympic Peninsula, Washington". Quaternary Research 20 (2): 215-231. 
  10. ^ Bergland 1988, p. 24
  11. ^ Kirk 1978, p. 28
  12. ^ Kirk 1978, p. 53
  13. ^ Kirk 1978, p. 82

[edit] Sources

  • Barton, Miles (2002). Prehistoric America: A Journey through the Ice Age and Beyond, Yale University Press, ISBN 0300098197.
  • Bergland, Eric O.; Marr, Jerry (1988). Prehistoric Life on the Olympic Peninsula: The First Inhabitants of Great American Wilderness, Pacific Northwest National Parks and Forests Association, ISBN 0914019198.
  • Kirk, Ruth; Daugherty, Richard D. (1978). Exploring Washington Archaeology, University of Washington Press, ISBN 0295956305.
  • McMillan, Alan Daniel (1999). Since the Time of the Transformers: The Ancient Heritage of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Ditidaht, and Makah, UBC Press, ISBN 0774807016.


{{Registered Historic Places}} [[Category:Archaeological sites in Washington]] [[Category:Clallam County, Washington]] [[Category:Mastodons]] [[Category:Native American history of Washington]] [[Category:Pacific Northwest]] [[Category:Registered Historic Places in Washington]] {{NRHP-stub}}

[edit] Kitsap County

Landmark name Image Date listed Location City or Town Summary
1 Agate Pass Bridge listed WA 305 over Agate Passage Suquamish Built in 1950. 95000625
2 Bremerton Elks Temple Lodge No. 1181 Building listed 285 Fifth Street Bremerton #95000192
3 Camp Major Hopkins listed Bainbridge Island Built in 1935. 05001351 Currently known as Camp Yeomalt.
4 Filipino-American Community Hall listed 7566 NE High School Road Bainbridge Island Built in 1930. 95000193
5 Fort Ward Historic District listed South of Winslow. Bainbridge Island Built in 1890. 78002759
6 Fort Ward Historic District (Boundary Increase) listed South of Winslow Bainbridge Island 96000415
7 Hospital Reservation Historic District listed Roughly bounded by Mahan Avenue, Hoogewerf Road, Decatur Avenue, and Dewey Street Bremerton
8 Hotel Sidney 1985 700 Prospect Street Port Orchard #73001880
9 Jackson Hall Memorial Community Hall listed 9161 Washington Avenue Silverdale Also known as Silverdale Scout Hall. #95001036
10 Marine Reservation Historic District listed Bounded by Cole St., Dewey St., Decatur Ave., and Doyen St Bremerton #88003051
10 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Photograph of the strategic missile submarine USS Ohio in drydock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as night falls. The ship is surrounded by scaffolding and equipment, and several shipyard buildings appear in the background. 27 Aug 1992 47°33′32″N 122°38′17″W / 47.55889, -122.63806 (Puget Sound Naval Shipyard) Bremerton This shipyard was the primary repair destination for damaged battleships during World War II. Of the eight ships bombed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, five were repaired here.
11 Charles F. Nelson House listed Corner of Nelson and Crescent Valley Roads Olalla 73001879
12 Officers' Row Historic District listed Roughly bounded by Mahan Avenue, Decatur Avenue, and Coghlan Road Bremerton 88003054
13 Old Man House listed Old Man House State Park Suquamish
14 Point No Point Light listed East of Hansville Hansville Built in 1879. 78002758
15 Port Gamble Historic District A mill in Port Gamble. 13 Nov 1966
47°51′18″N 122°35′2″W / 47.855, -122.58389 (Port Gamble Historic District)		 Port Gamble This company town was founded in 1853, and ran the longest running timber mill in the US, which just closed in 1995. Seattle architect Charles Bebb designed many of the town's buildings.[1]
16 Port Washington Narrows Bridge listed WA 303 over Washington Narrows Bremerton 02000258
17 Puget Sound Radio Station Historic District listed Roughly bounded by Mahan Avenue, Coghlan Road, and Cottman Road Bremerton 88003053
18 Shelbanks listed 1520 Shorewood Drive Bremerton Also known as Kean Cabin. 04000160
19 USS Missouri (BB-63) The USS Missouri (2002) listed Listed in Bremerton, but has moved to Hawaii.
20 US Post Office-Bremerton Main listed 602 Pacific Avenue Bremerton 91000638
21 USS Hornet (CV-12) listed Listed in Bremerton, has moved to California. 91002065