By Ron Rood
Roughly 12,000 years ago, Native Americans first camped in Danger Cave which is located less than two miles east of Wendover, Utah. Archaeologists call these earliest inhabitants of the Great Basin Paleoarchaic who were possibly the earliest occupants of North America. They were successful hunters and gatherers who used Danger Cave as a shelter. Use of the cave continued for thousands of years by members of the Great Basin Desert Culture, who were also successful hunter-gatherers. They left behind fascinating evidence of their life in the stratified deposits of Danger Cave. Renowned University of Utah archaeologist Jesse D. Jennings first explored the cave in 1949 and over the next several years directed extensive excavations there.
The extremely dry cave led to the preservation of perishable items that would not have been preserved in any open-air archaeological site. Jennings and his team discovered a variety of fascinating artifacts from beetle wings to textiles and human coprolites. They also found leather scraps, pieces of string, nets of twine, coarse fabric, basket fragments, and bone and wood tools such as knives, weapons, and millstones. Amazingly, the excavation also yielded identifiable fragments of 68 plant species that still grow today within ten miles of the cave as well as the bones of many species of animals. In an effort to date the variety of inhabitants that had used the cave over its expansive history Jennings sent samples for Carbon-14 dating. The age of the oldest material-over 11,000 years-surprised even Jennings and exceeded in age all but a few of the excavated sites in North America. Continued research at Danger Cave has pushed back the earliest occupation and new dates have refined the chronology for the region.
Tours are limited and reservations must be made in advance.
For more information go to https://metcalfdangercavetours.com/
Or call Ron Rood at 801- 243-1306
Cost: $18 for adults, $12 for kids under 15; Kids under 8 are FREE.
Several tours are scheduled for August during Speed Week.
