Speaker:

James Woods

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What Artifacts Can Tell Us About Prehistoric Idahoans

Humans moved into Idaho at the end of the ice age, 12,000 years ago. They adapted to our driest deserts and highest mountain valleys. The culture they developed serves as a remarkable statement of human ingenuity and adaptability to changing conditions and new challenges.

Any of four program topics can be selected to illustrate the adaptability of Idaho’s earliest residents.

Prehistoric Southern Idaho
This program uses photos of Idaho sites and artifacts, early historic photos, maps, and graphics to summarize the prehistory of this region.

Stone Tools and Weapons of Ancient Idaho
A demonstration of how stone artifacts were made and an exhibit of replicas of stone tools from all periods of southern Idaho prehistory.

Elephant Hunters of the Snake River Plain
This program focuses on the earliest Idahoans and includes photos of their distinctive artifacts, maps, graphics and a summary of what is currently known of these earliest residents.

The Buhl Woman: A 11,000 Year-Old Burial from The Snake River Plain
This program examines the oldest burial in Idaho, the young woman in the grave, her ethnicity, materials interred with her, and a discussion of current laws and ethics related to prehistoric human remains.