One of the worrisome parts of doing this photo blog is that I have more pictures than knowledge. If I were to make a list of groups of photos in my collection where I have little knowledge, the Lindenmeier Site would probably top the list.
Except for a short introduction, I’m going to stick to the photographs. (thank you Wikipedia.) Thankfully, they are all press photos and every one of them comes with a caption. I share both photo and caption with you.
The Lindenmeier Site was discovered in 1924 by A. Lynn Coffin, Judge Claude C. Coffin and Ranger C. K. Collins. Major Roy G. Coffin quickly joined the group in exploring the site. William Lindenmeier, Jr. was the owner of the land at the time of the discovery.
Frank H. H. Roberts, of the Smithsonian Institute and the Bureau of American Ethnology, headed the bulk of the work on the site between 1934 and 1940, when most of the work ended. Lindenmeier is one of the most extensive Folsom culture sites and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It is now owned by the city of Fort Collins, CO and is part of the Prairie Natural Area.
Below are the photographs and captions, hopefully in chronological order, though a couple of guesses were required. I hope you enjoy the images of the site and its explorers.
“Relics of 20,000 years are shown here with their finders Maj. and Mrs. Roy C. Coffin of Fort Collins, Colo. With Judge Claude C. Coffin, brother of the major, they made the original discovery of the campsite of the Folsom people, who inhabited Colorado during the ice age. The Coffins have been amateur archeologists twenty years, collecting stone arrow heads and other Indian relics. Show in the circle are two Folsom points which lead scientist to investigate the campsite. – Photo by Associated Press.”
“This campsite found buried 15 feet below the surface of the ground near Fort Collins, Colo., is believed by scientists to mark the residence of America’s mystery man who inhabited North America long before the Indians. Stone weapons and tools believed used by the strange tribe 20,000 years ago were found in this excavation. Lynn Coffin, one of the discoverers, is shown examining the ground.”
“Lindenmeier site in northern Colorado where first known home of early Americans was discovered. Shown are (left to right) Maj. Roy C. Coffin, Judge Claude C. Coffin and Lynn Coffin, the discoverers. They are digging at old ground level shown on the exposed bank of the arroyo. Thousands of ancient tools and weapons were found here.”
“The dried up arroyo in northern Colorado where Dr. F. H. H. Roberts, Jr. of the Bureau of American Ethnology found remains of the prehistoric Indians who used Folsom points.”
“Two weapon points found at the Lindenmeier site north of Fort Collins. Typical groove appearing on all Folsom points shown on the lower picture. Upper picture shows the ungrooved side of a different point.”
[As an aside, Folsom points are interesting to research online. Here is a better description of a Folsom point, from Wikipedia.
“The points are bifacially worked (worked on both sides) and have a symmetrical, leaf-like shape with a concave base and wide, shallow grooves running almost the entire length of the point. The edges are finely worked. The characteristic groove, known as fluting, may have served to aid hafting (the attachment) to a wooden shaft or dart. Use-wear studies have shown that some examples were used as knives as well as projectile points. The fluting required great technical ability to effect, and it took archaeologists many years of experimentation to replicate it.”]
“Washington, April 29 – Oldest American Campsite of Prehistoric Man: In northern Colorado members of the Smithsonian Institution are excavating this campsite of earliest prehistoric man in America. The site is estimated at from 10,000 to 20,000 years old and has yielded a rich find of early war and domestic implements.”
“Workers of the American Bureau of Ethnology carefully uncovering the site of ancient human activities near Fort Collins, Colo.”
Next week will be my 50th post since starting this project on September 2, 2016, exactly seven months and around 180 images ago. In celebration of the 50th post, I’m going to upload five stand-alone images that I really like. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
Fort Collins Images 