Spirit Cave mummy
Encyclopedia
The Spirit Cave mummy is the oldest human mummy found in North America
. It was discovered in 1940 in Spirit Cave, thirteen miles east of Fallon, Nevada
by the husband-and-wife archaeological team of Sydney and Georgia Wheeler.
The Wheelers, working for the Nevada State Parks Commission, were surveying possible archaeological sites to prevent their loss due to guano
mining. Upon entering Spirit Cave they discovered the remains of two people wrapped in tule
matting. One set of remains, buried deeper than the other, had been partially mummified (the head and right shoulder). The Wheelers, with the assistance of local residents, recovered a total of sixty-seven artifacts from the cave.
These artifacts were examined at the Nevada State Museum where they were estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old. They were deposited at the Nevada State Museum’s
storage facility in Carson City where they remained for the next fifty-four years.
In 1996 University of California, Riverside
anthropologist R. Ervi Taylor examined seventeen of the Spirit Cave artifacts using mass spectrometry
. The results indicated that the mummy was approximately 9,400 years old (uncalibrated Radio-Carbon Years Before-Present (RCYBP); ~11.5 Kya calibrated) — older than any previously known North American mummy.
In March 1997, the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
made a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) claim of cultural affiliation with the artifacts.
Further study determined that the mummy exhibits Caucasoid characteristics resembling the Ainu
, although a definitive affiliation has not been established. There is also a possible link to Polynesians and Australians that is stronger than to any Native American culture.
The findings were published by the Nevada State Museum on October 24, 1999, and drew immediate national attention.
In September, 2006, the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
ruled on a lawsuit by the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and said that the Bureau of Land Management
made an error in dismissing evidence without a full explanation. The court order remanded the matter back to the BLM for reconsideration of the evidence .
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It was discovered in 1940 in Spirit Cave, thirteen miles east of Fallon, Nevada
Fallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
by the husband-and-wife archaeological team of Sydney and Georgia Wheeler.
The Wheelers, working for the Nevada State Parks Commission, were surveying possible archaeological sites to prevent their loss due to guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
mining. Upon entering Spirit Cave they discovered the remains of two people wrapped in tule
Tule
Schoenoplectus acutus , called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the plant family Cyperaceae, native to freshwater marshes all over North America...
matting. One set of remains, buried deeper than the other, had been partially mummified (the head and right shoulder). The Wheelers, with the assistance of local residents, recovered a total of sixty-seven artifacts from the cave.
These artifacts were examined at the Nevada State Museum where they were estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old. They were deposited at the Nevada State Museum’s
Nevada State Museum, Carson City
The Nevada State Museum in Carson City is one of 6 Nevada State Museums operated by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs. The primary building of the Museum is the former Carson City Mint...
storage facility in Carson City where they remained for the next fifty-four years.
In 1996 University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
anthropologist R. Ervi Taylor examined seventeen of the Spirit Cave artifacts using mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
. The results indicated that the mummy was approximately 9,400 years old (uncalibrated Radio-Carbon Years Before-Present (RCYBP); ~11.5 Kya calibrated) — older than any previously known North American mummy.
In March 1997, the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
The Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Indians in Churchill County, Nevada. Their autonym is Toi Ticutta meaning "Cattail Eaters."-Reservation:...
made a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act , Pub. L. 101-601, 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., 104 Stat. 3048, is a United States federal law passed on 16 November 1990 requiring federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American "cultural items" to...
(NAGPRA) claim of cultural affiliation with the artifacts.
Further study determined that the mummy exhibits Caucasoid characteristics resembling the Ainu
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
, although a definitive affiliation has not been established. There is also a possible link to Polynesians and Australians that is stronger than to any Native American culture.
The findings were published by the Nevada State Museum on October 24, 1999, and drew immediate national attention.
In September, 2006, the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
United States District Court for the District of Nevada
The United States District Court for the District of Nevada is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nevada. The court has locations in Las Vegas and Reno....
ruled on a lawsuit by the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and said that the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
made an error in dismissing evidence without a full explanation. The court order remanded the matter back to the BLM for reconsideration of the evidence .
External links
- Spirit Cave Man series from the Reno Gazette-Journal Offline as of 2010-April-18.
- Spirit Cave Man Court Documents from Friends of the Past