Local archeologist gives presentation

Director of the Blackwater Draw Museum George Crawford gave a presentation on the Clovis culture and Blackwater Draw discoveries Saturday night at the Oasis State Park.

The Blackwater Draw discoveries were very significant to the archaeological society because of the preservation of the remains and artifacts as well as the fact that it is one of the earliest large settlements of people to be discovered in North America, according to Crawford.

“The Blackwater Draw site is very significant worldwide ... things preserved there in a way they don’t preserve in other areas. Bone preserved very well here,” Crawford said during his presentation.

Crawford described the Llano Estacado as a region that looked a lot like the Upper Midwest region, more specifically Minnesota, around 13,000 years ago when the Clovis culture first arrived here. Bison and mammoths also had a large presence in the area, according to Crawford.

“Twenty-eight mammoth remains have been found at Blackwater Draw that were killed by humans,” said Crawford.

The Blackwater Draw site is a portion of an 80-acre lake that existed 13,000 years ago; the bison and mammoth remains that were found there were made easy prey, because of the water source and their lack of predators, according to Crawford.

“Bison and mammoths did not have very many predators here ... they were not very used to having to protect themselves and that made them easy prey at the lake shore,” said Crawford.

Archaeologists began to excavate and examine the Blackwater Draw site during the Dust Bowl, which was a good thing, Crawford said, “Because of the stripped ground and the cheap labor.”

Crawford also discussed how the wind and dust we are all familiar with here helped to preserve the remains and artifacts.

“Over 14 feet of dust built up at the Clovis site over time,” said Crawford.

link Staff Photo: Rae Arnett

Director of the Blackwater Draw Museum George Crawford demonstrates the use of an atlatl, a spear-throwing mechanism, at Oasis State Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Clovis culture was likely a hunter/gatherer group which traveled in circuits, according to Crawford, who said there were two kinds of circuits: Circular circuits in which the people would travel in a large circular pattern with multiple homes along the way, and dog leash circuits in which the people would travel out to get something and then return home before going to the next place.

Oasis State Park Technician Specialist Valerie Russ, who attended the presentation, said Oasis holds events every Saturday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

“Star gazer parties usually get the best turnout,” said Russ.

Russ’ favorite part of the Blackwater Draw presentation was the atlatl demonstration and explanation of it’s use. An atlatl is a mechanism that aides in throwing spears faster and further than a person’s arm.