'The Ancient One' may be the most important Washington resident you've never heard of. We don't know the story of his life, although based on evidence we can imagine things he may have experienced. For many years after his death, he peacefully rested in the land he inhabited, until one summer morning when his body was discovered, and the known controversy began.
On July 28, 1996 two men were watching boat races on the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington. This day became notable when they found what appeared to be a human skull about 10 feet off shore. They contacted the police, and County Coroner Floyd Johnson was called in to examine the remains. He immediately realized this was an unusual skull and brought in local archeologist James Chatters to assist him. Together, that evening they plucked a nearly complete skeleton from the muddy river bank and brought it back to Chatters' lab. It was obvious that the skull and bones were very old, but at first glance did not appear Native American to Chatters. He believed they may belong to a pioneer or trapper. However, upon closer examination a stone spear point was found embedded in the hip bone and when a sample was sent off for carbon dating it revealed the remains to be approximately 9,000 years old. Thus began the saga of 'The Ancient One', one of the oldest skeletons ever found in the Americas and the subject of deep fascination from the moment his burial site was discovered. These were also among the most contested sets of remains on the continent and remained in litigation for decades. Advancements in DNA finally made clear the true ancestral origins of this person, despite a publication in 2014 that incorrectly asserted he was descended from sea-faring travelers.
'The Ancient One' was returned to tribal leaders on February 17, 2017. The following day, the remains were reburied in a private ceremony at an undisclosed location on the Columbia Plateau. The tribes involved in the reburial were the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, and the Wanapum Band of Priest Rapids.
Logging Requirements:
To get credit for this Virtual you must complete both of the following tasks.
- In a private message, send answers to the two questions. The information can be found at the posted coordinates. DO NOT POST THEM IN YOUR LOG.
- At the coordinates for the Virtual stage (where The Ancient One was unearthed), take a photo of yourself or a personal item with the small blue structure in the frame and POST IT IN YOUR LOG.
Questions:
1. At the posted coordinates you will find a sign about 'The Ancient One'. According to the sign, what is another moniker used for this person?
2. According to the sign at the posted coordinates, what is the name of the sculptor who worked with James Chatters in 1998?
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%204%20Metaphysics/Kennewick-Man.htm#:~:text=Kennewick%2C%20made%20up%20of%20more,years%20old%20when%20he%20died.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/kennewick-man-finally-freed-share-his-secrets-180952462/
https://www.burkemuseum.org/news/ancient-one-kennewick-man
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.