A Talbot couple has been recognized with an Oregon Heritage Stewardship Certificate for their efforts to preserve an important archaeological site.

In 2009, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) received a phone call from private property owners Diana and John Van Driesche of Talbot. While constructing an emergency entrance into the basement of their home, the couple had found Native American artifacts and a burned feature beneath the surface.

The Van Driesches promptly halted construction and contacted the State Archaeologist at the SHPO. Later, volunteers from the Oregon Archaeological Society; students from Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, and various community colleges; and professional archaeologists from the Association of Oregon Archaeologists, private archaeological firms, federal agencies, state agencies, and Tribes, conducted archaeological testing.

The investigations found basalt, obsidian and chert tools and debitage, and remnants of a hearth. (Debitage is waste material leftover from making tools.) Recent radiocarbon dates indicate the site was occupied 5,500 to 9,100 years ago.

“Thanks to Diana and John’s watchful eye and thoughtful decision to contact the State Historic Preservation Office an important Native American site was preserved for future generations,” says Nancy Nelson, a Heritage Programs archaeologist with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. “We thank them for their contribution to protecting Oregon’s cultural heritage.”

The Heritage Stewardship Recognition program was initiated by Heritage Programs of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to raise the profile of Oregonians who go the extra mile in protecting the state’s heritage.

Heritage Programs of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department includes the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, the Oregon Heritage Commission, the Oregon Historic Trails Advisory Council and the State Historic Preservation Office. Oregon Heritage Commission and State Historic Preservation Office are statewide cultural partners of the Oregon Cultural Trust. For more information, contact Kyle Jansson at heritage.info@state.or.us or 503-986-0673.