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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Archaeologists are working to uncover one of the Salt Lake valley's oldest homes.
The pit house was found near the Utah State Prison in Draper. It still had tools on the floor, burned animal bones and charcoal. Radiocarbon dating of those burned items puts the house at about 3,000 years old.
The excavation is being done under the supervision of Utah State Archaeologist Kevin Jones.
He says the site was damaged during the construction of the nearby Bangerter Highway. Trucks drove through the site, dumping fill dirt.
Jones says along with the excavation, the site needs reseeding and stabilization so it won't erode into the Jordan River.
But it is a large site that has yielded several artifacts. Jones thinks there could be other houses in the area.
Field work at the site should be completed this week. A display will be erected close to the site in the Jordan River Parkway.
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Information from: Deseret Morning News
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
