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Show Mino Operation Uncovers Puzzli ng Remains af Ancient f 1 By F. A. Barnes MOAB. Once again, a res. dent of Moab. Utah, has made a discovery that has startling scientif c implications. im-plications. Lin Ottinger, Mono back - country tour guide and amateur geologist geolog-ist and archeologist, made a find early last week that could possibly upset all current theories concerning concern-ing the age of mankind on this planet. While searching for mineral min-eral specimens south of Moab, Ottinger found traces trac-es of human remains in a geological stratum that is approximately 100 million years old. Present scientific scientif-ic estimates put the max-j.num max-j.num age of the human race at no more than two or three million years, and even this depends upon defining de-fining "human" in a rather ra-ther loose way. With permission from the mine's management, Ottinger and some Ohio v's'tors were looking for azurite specimens on the property of the Big Indian Copper Mine in Lisbon Valley, Val-ley, about 35 miles south af Moab, when he found a tooth that he (immediately recognized as human. Further Fur-ther searching by the party par-ty soon brought to light several human bone fragments, frag-ments, including an upper jaw section. By lodking for tell-tale indications, bits of charcoal char-coal and the dark brown organic stains that almost ;dways surround ancient or fossilized bones, Ott.n-gir Ott.n-gir was able to pinpoint the S'jiirce of the teeth and bone fragments. He carefully care-fully uncovered enough of what later proved to be the parts of two human skeletons skel-etons to verify that he had, indeed, located the source of the scattered pieces. pie-ces. He then carefully covered cov-ered the exposure and not-lied not-lied Dr. W. Lee Stokes, eminent archeoJogical and geological authority at the University of Utah. The implications of Ot-tinger's Ot-tinger's find were instantly instant-ly recognized by Dr. Stokes. Stok-es. If the human remains were truly "in place" in the Dakota formation, that ts, not washed or fallen l.n from higher and younger young-er strata, then the remains would have to be the same age as the stratum in which they were found. This would be in the vicinity vicin-ity cif 100 million years, depending upon where in the stratum they occurred. Dr. Stokes immediately sent a colleague, Dr. J. P. Marwitt, Professor of Anthropology An-thropology at tne University Univer-sity of Utah, to study and develop the discovery site f!or preliminary examination, examina-tion, and to gather specimens speci-mens for detailed testing. With, the full cooperation coopera-tion of mine officials, Dr. (Marwi'tt, assisted by Lin Ottinger, carefully uncov ered tne numan Dones, removing re-moving the sandstone and other material for several linches down, but leaving thet bones in place. Parts olf at least two separate dkeletons were exposed in this preliminary survey. While Marwitt and Ottinger Ottin-ger were working on the prime site, several volunteers volun-teers were screening loose sand and dirt in the vicinity vicin-ity for teeth and bone shards. Quite a number were found. Dr. Marwitt pronounced the discovery "highly interesting in-teresting and unusual" for several reasons. As the )bones were uncovered, it soon became obvious that they were "in pilace," and had not washed in or fall en down from higher strata. stra-ta. The portions of skeletons skele-tons that were exposed were still articulated, that is, were still joined naturally, natur-ally, .indicating that the bodies were still . intact when buried or covered in the Dakota formation. Further, the bones were stained a bright green by the copper salts that occur oc-cur in the vicinity, and some of the bright blue azurite az-urite balls that were found in and around the bones were partially turned green by reaction with the organic material of the bodies. In addition, the dark organic stains found around the bones indicate that the bones had been complete bodies when deposited de-posited in the ancient stratum. Dr. Marwitt pointed out several curious aspects of the find. While one body 'seemed to be in the position posi-tion sometimes used by ancient an-cient Indian tribes for formal bun.als, the other (wras not, and its upper body was missing and pro-Ibably pro-Ibably carried away by the bulldozer that had earlier removed the rock and other oth-er material above the find during routine mine development de-velopment work. Mine Metallurgist Keith Barrett, who was familiar with the terrain, contended contend-ed that the rock and soil that had been above the remains had been continuous contin-uous before the dozer work, w'jth no caves or major 'faults or crevices visible. Thus, before the mine exploration ex-ploration work, the human remains had been com-ipletc'iv com-ipletc'iv covered by about fifteen feet of material, intruding in-truding five or s'ix feet of Si-,!"'d rock. This provided strong, but not conclusive, evidence that the remains ' are as old as the strata in iwhich they were found. Due to some local shifting) shift-ing) and faulting, it was uncertain, without further I nvescigation, whether the find is in the lower Dakota Dako-ta or still older upper Morrison Mor-rison formation, but in any event, age dating tests . " A j, . s, , K, . Vrc- " Lin Ottinger, discoverer, and Dr. Marwitt, Mar-witt, U of U, examine human bones protruding from ancient sandstone. Box which will be performed at the University of Utah on sa.mrf.es taken from the site will determine the true age of the unusual bones. Of course, despite evidence evi-dence that these human re-ma.ns re-ma.ns are "in place" in a formation 100 million years old, the probability is very low that they are actually actual-ly that old. The bones appeared to be relatively modern in configuration, that is, of Homo sapiens rather than one of his ancient,' an-cient,' semiannual predecessors. predec-essors. And, even though the rock and soil layers or-li.ginally or-li.ginally above- the bones were continuous and unbroken un-broken as claimed by mine officials, there is still the possibility, (in fact a high (probability, that the ori-'ginal ori-'ginal owners of the bones had smpJy' been using a narrow cave in the Dakota formation, when it collapsed collaps-ed and buried them, - then later Billed in solid with the sandy soil that surrounded surroun-ded the bones when they were found. With the over-'bdrden over-'bdrden now irretrievably 'gone, this point will prob- contains bone fragments, teeth and- $ ar of jaw, all found loose a few feet ('-- jik main skeletons. ' unl . w ably never be resolved, so scientific age-dating of the irrrnains must provide the cii.ticriJ evidence. Nonetheless, even though the bones prove to be no c der than other ancient American Indian remains, they are novel in one respect. re-spect. Dr. Marwitt claimed claim-ed he had never seen or heard of human bones being be-ing so- stained and discolored discolor-ed by copper minerals. A University team, under un-der the guidance of Dr Stokes, will continue to investigate in-vestigate the find, both at the site and by the laboratory labora-tory testing of specimens. Dr. Mai-witt claimed that Lin O Manger's discovery was typical of the highly valuable contributions that are continually being made by dedicated amateurs ama-teurs in the field or archeology. arche-ology. He stated that most professional archeologists must, of necessity spend most of their time in teaching teach-ing and other university work, and are thus dependent depen-dent on, and very appreciative appreci-ative of, the contributions made iby the large numbers of knowledgeable and, biE amateurs who can ai spend so much -time 1 f.eld, where most cnt discoveries are ii- L'n Ottinger has (fonte such contributions to " ence befor? I75 rt.; -Fn. (found l?"z !:' iiliict.-mens iiliict.-mens of dinosurs, m 'j. which turned out t0j ';e previusly unknwn spe es-l |