Artifacts found at road site

Mathis Winkler

Tuesday, March 5, 2002 | 8:46 a.m.

The Martin Luther King Boulevard widening project in North Las Vegas is likely to proceed on schedule, although archaeologists have found American Indian and pioneer artifacts nearby.

Archaeological consultants will further examine the area in coming weeks to make sure that nothing of importance gets destroyed, a state official said.

North Las Vegas city officials, who are in charge of the widening project, have set aside $71,268 to fund the extra research.

But "at this point in time it is our judgment that there probably is no historic significant material left there," said Hal Turner, the chief archaeologist for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

A 1997 excavation of the site revealed fragments of Native American ceramics as well as stones used to grind seeds and fire cracked rocks that probably formed part of a campfire, Turner said.

"All of these artifacts are very small fragments," Turner said. "Most people wouldn't even recognize what they are looking at."

He added that the finds could be as old as 900 to 1,500 years and might come from Virgin River Anazasi, who came to the area to gather food.

Archaeologists also found fragments of tools used in cattle ranching that could be associated with the early days of Kiel Ranch, which sits fairly close to the site.

Federal law prohibits the disclosure of the exact location of the site to prevent looters from causing damage to any archaeological materials still left there.