The First People of Fort Rock

The First People of Fort Rock. . , Near the end of the last Ice Age, America's first people migrated into this lake-filled basin, finding a climate cooler than today's. A warming trend increased evaporation and the lake shrank. Soon these people discovered caves carved by waves when lake levels were higher. , Around 9000 years ago, the arid-loving sagebrush had replaced much of the marsh grasses. Despite the change from temperate to semiarid, human habitation in the caves is thought to have continued for more than 11,000 years. Bones found in caves suggest that game continued to be plentiful. Charcoal from fire pits traces the gradual disappearance of plant types no longer resident here. , A Giant Step for Mankind , More than 70 sandals have been found in a variety of caves in the Fort Rock basin. Woven from sagebrush bark, the artifacts are some of the oldest found in the Northwest. Mats and baskets were also fashioned from the bark. Arrowheads and spear points, scrapers, gravers, and fish net weights fashioned from stone also found throughout the basin tell the story of a resident population with many choices at mealtime.