Monday, September 18, 2006

Roadside dig: Archaeologists examine ODOT site before work starts
Before a busy stretch of Highway 20 can be widened, the state is ensuring that construction won’t destroy any remnants of people who lived here years ago.

A team of archaeologists contracted by ODOT spent Thursday digging at a spot near Highway 20 and Reeve’s Parkway in Lebanon for any significant historical remnants.

While they are not yet sure if they found anything important, Paul Baxter, staff archaeologist at University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History, said the pre-construction digging is a standard practice that sometimes yields results.


Shows a pic of them shovel-testing: