Tse-whit-zen Village Cemetery Recovery Project
Port Angeles, WA
Following its discovery during construction, CRC was contracted by WSDOT to recover a prehistoric cemetery associated with the Tse-whit-zen ethnographic village site, a Klallam settlement at present-day Port Angeles. Sediments associated with the strata containing the human remains were radiocarbon dated from 260 years before present (BP) to 1630 BP.
During seven months of field excavations, over 140 discrete burial pits were identified and removed for later reburial. Remains from over two hundred individuals were recovered; however, almost 50 percent of these appeared to have been impacted by previous industrial development of the project area. Archaeological features including fire-modified rock concentrations and ceremonially treated burials were documented throughout the prehistoric cemetery.
The CRC crew included more than 40 archaeologists, trained archaeological technicians, and members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. CRC trained tribal members in archaeological excavation techniques; and, CRC worked closely with the Tribe and tribal spiritual leaders throughout the project to ensure that cultural protocols were honored. For the final report, CRC and WSDOT worked with the Tribe to develop a reporting format that was consistent with tribal values, while at the same time conveying sufficient information about an important archaeological site.