Tse-whit-zen
Encyclopedia
Tse-whit-zen is a 1,700 to 2,700 year old Lower Elwha Klallam
village on the Port Angeles, Washington waterfront, located at the base of Ediz Hook
. A project for a graving dock discovered in 2004 that it had been sited to include the village's cemetery. Archaeological
efforts have unearthed over 10,000 artifacts and more than 335 intact skeletons. The Washington State Department of Transportation
decided to halt all construction efforts relating to the graving dock on December 21, 2004 and is currently undertaking only those steps required to ensure the preservation of remains and artifacts already uncovered by the construction. The graving dock was being built for the construction of replacement pontoons for the Hood Canal Bridge
which is part of State Route 104.
As a result of a legal settlement, the tribe received $2.5 million to build a cultural center or museum on the site. The museum plans have to be developed, but the tribe is aiming for construction to begin around 2012.
, and it continued to exist until as recently as the 1930s. A number of mills were built on top of the village site during the 20th century. Because the ground was covered with 15 to 30 ft (4.6 to 9.1 m) of fill the village site was preserved. Archaeology has revealed possibly eight long house
structures.
Klallam
Klallam refers to four related indigenous Native American/First Nations communities from the Pacific Northwest of North America. The Klallam culture is classified ethnographically and linguistically in the Coast Salish subgroup...
village on the Port Angeles, Washington waterfront, located at the base of Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook is a sand spit that extends from northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula at Port Angeles in northcentral Clallam County, Washington, northeasterly into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, located about West of the larger Dungeness Spit...
. A project for a graving dock discovered in 2004 that it had been sited to include the village's cemetery. Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
efforts have unearthed over 10,000 artifacts and more than 335 intact skeletons. The Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
decided to halt all construction efforts relating to the graving dock on December 21, 2004 and is currently undertaking only those steps required to ensure the preservation of remains and artifacts already uncovered by the construction. The graving dock was being built for the construction of replacement pontoons for the Hood Canal Bridge
Hood Canal Bridge
The Hood Canal Bridge is a floating bridge located in the U.S. state of Washington that carries Washington State Route 104 across Hood Canal and connects the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. At long, The Hood Canal Bridge (officially William A. Bugge Bridge) is a floating bridge located in the U.S....
which is part of State Route 104.
As a result of a legal settlement, the tribe received $2.5 million to build a cultural center or museum on the site. The museum plans have to be developed, but the tribe is aiming for construction to begin around 2012.
History
The village of Tse-whit-zen dates back over 2,700 years, according to radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
, and it continued to exist until as recently as the 1930s. A number of mills were built on top of the village site during the 20th century. Because the ground was covered with 15 to 30 ft (4.6 to 9.1 m) of fill the village site was preserved. Archaeology has revealed possibly eight long house
Long house
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building built by peoples in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe and North America....
structures.
External links
- "Lower Elwha Klallam tribe"
- "Unearthing Tse-whit-zen" Seattle Times article
- Washington: Construction of the Port Angeles Graving Dock Advisory Council on Historic PreservationAdvisory Council on Historic PreservationThe Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is an independent agency of the United States government that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of the nation's historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.The goal of the...
- Port Angeles Graving Dock Report - WSDOT
- Review of Port Angeles Graving Dock Project - Transportation Performance Audit Board (pdf file)