There’s another department here at the Museum of the Great Plains that investigates even older Oklahoma history, going back to the pre-Columbian era and prehistory. At the Museum we have our own resident archaeologist, Debra Baker. With the help of some volunteers, she is responsible for maintaining, cataloging and analyzing the archaeological collections. And from time to time she does get to put on her Indiana Jones’ hat and go dig for bones. This week I had the opportunity to sit with Debra and learn more about her work.

Debra states that Oklahoma’s history is more varied than most people think. Many different archeological finds have been discovered in Oklahoma. Mammoth bones discovered in Domebo Canyon show evidence of human activity, confirming the early Oklahomans hunted the mammoth. Archaeologists also discovered 11,000 year-old ‘Clovis points’, stone blades made by the Clovis people, at the Domebo site. This state is also rich with mammoth fossils. Other mammoth bones discovered at Cooperton were found alongside crude stone tools that were radio-carbon dated to be 17,000-21,000 years old. Currently, Debra Baker is working with Cameron University’s biological science team, headed by Dr. Mike Dunn, on the Grandfield excavation site. Though mammoth remains were discovered in 2005, excavation did not formally begin until 2009. Most of the bones have been unearthed and several can currently be seen on display here at the Museum.

Though many of the bones from the Grandfield site have been removed, some bones still remain in the ground. Debra explains that this is common practice; some fossils are just too fragile to remove from the ground. The Grandfield site is still active, but now scientists are working to conserve and protect the area for future exploration. In previous decades, the emphasis in archaeology was in digging up as many bones as possible but recently this practice has changed. Now the focus is on preserving and recording discoveries for future research. In fact, Debra states that she spends only about 10% of her time in the field, and for the other 90% she is engaged in lab work back at the museum.

Debra’s next big project won’t be out in the field; it will be right here in the museum’s existing collection. Since they were so focused on unearthing as many objects as possible, previous generations of archaeologists were rather sloppy when it came to cataloging and preserving their finds. For instance, many artifacts were simply thrown into cardboard boxes with little or no organization or labeling. Not only is this confusing, but it turns out that the cardboard boxes were acidic and are slowly damaging the bones. Now archaeologists like Debra are very careful about how they store bones and other artifacts; only acid-free materials are used and every object is thoroughly labeled and recorded. Debra showed me a mammoth tusk that had been unearthed several decades ago and was wrapped in plaster. Wrapping bones in plaster is no longer standard practice, she explains, because it can be very difficult to remove the plaster without damaging the bone. Unfortunately, this tusk will probably remain encased in plaster.

I asked Debra how she became interested in archaeology. She said that when she was a child, her family traveled all over the world, including Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Traveling to some of the oldest cities on Earth piqued her interest in history; when Debra went to college, she majored in anthropology and archaeology. Her job here at the Museum allows her to share her love of history with other people. The archaeology department at the Museum plays a vital role in conducting outreach and educating the public. There are only about 40 professional archaeologists in the state of Oklahoma and so they often rely on members of the public to find sites and artifacts. So it's important for people to know that they should not disturb any bones or other objects they might discover for preservation purposes. Exhibits and events at the museum help to educate people how they can preserve and protect our rich archeological history.

Interested in learning more about archaeology in Oklahoma? The Oklahoma Anthropological Society (OAS) provides a great opportunity for those interested in anthropology and archaeology to come together and share ideas, discoveries and to participate in preserving Oklahoma’s history; families and people of all ages have fun and connect through their shared interest in history. The OAS Greater Southwest Oklahoma chapter holds meetings on the 4^th Saturday of each month at the Museum of the Great Plains.To inquire about membership dues and forms, contact Debra Baker at:baker1994@sbcglobal.net

More information about the history of Oklahoma’s archaeological sites can be found in the 2010-2011 Great Plains Journal, vol. 46