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Newberry Cabin, Mammoth fossil give WC students chance to preserve history

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Weatherford College students who sign up for archeology or historical geology classes will unearth artifacts and help preserve the fossilized remains of a mammoth.

Archaeology students will unearth artifacts at the Newberry Cabin as they work alongside the Doss Heritage and Culture Center to relocate four Parker County cabins to the Doss property.

“Anyone who has been involved in this class and worked on this project has been very pleased with the experience,” said Lori Gouge, the physical sciences department chair. “Some of them convert over to anthropology. Some of them join the Texas Archaeological Society, and they become life-long learners by having this interest introduced to them.”

Students currently working on the project have sorted and cleaned artifacts including a small stone doll, pieces of pottery and verified Civil War buttons.

“This isn’t just someone’s trash can, [they’re] genuine artifacts that are coming out of the dig,” Gouge said. “It’s a very enriching course.”

For students with an interest in paleontology, Gouge suggests taking

historical geology, where they will help preserve the fossilized remains of a mammoth found this summer in northern Parker County.

Students work to preserve the fossilized remains of a mammoth found in northern Parker County.

Gouge said she’s excited to work on the mammoth project, which was registered as the 183rd archaeological site in Texas after an arrowhead was found at the same level as the bones.

“Indians in America are about 11,500 years old,” Gouge said. “This point we found with the mammoth matches other mammoth/man encounters at 14,000 and 15,000 years old—meaning that textbooks may have to be rewritten if this is truly that old. We could change archaeological history.”

Starting this semester, students who sign up for the paleontology course will have access to the mammoth once they contact Gouge.

The Doss Heritage and Culture Center has also offered to host a display of the mammoth, which will give credit to all students who contribute to the project.

WC class registration begins Tuesday for currently enrolled and returning students and Nov. 29 for first-time and transfer students.

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