Oregon’s natural wonders are numerous and varied, from the Painted Hills to the Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge to Smith Rock, and the Beaver State is a place of immense wonder and intrigue. There are some places, though, that are so mysterious that they continue to captivate experts and archaeologists… even to this day. Paisley Caves is one of those places; a place with breadcrumbs to the past that continue to be discovered.
But no place is quite as compelling as the Paisley Caves of Oregon. This system of four caves in the arid desert of South-Central Oregon has led to monumental, ground-breaking scientific discoveries.
In 2008, a team of archaeologists, led by Dr. Dennis Jenkins with the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History, discovered coprolites – dried feces – containing human DNA dated more than 14,000-years-old, hailing from roughly 12,000 BCE!
In total, workers found over 280 radiocarbon dates and DNA analysis from more than 60 coprolites from the Paisley Caves. Analysis at varying ages revealed that these occupants were omnivorous.
Archaeologists and researchers also discovered a large number of bones from waterfowl, fish, and large mammals, including extinct camels, horses, and bison. These finds, from a prehistoric Paleoamerican culture, provided genetic ties to Siberia or Asia, rather than a distinct wave of migration.
A favorite dig site for the University of Oregon Archaeological Field School, Paisley Caves continues to fuel and fan the curiosity of archeologists, who eagerly await the next big discovery.
