PORT ANGELES — Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members are once again searching for artifacts at the site of the ancient Klallam village of Tse-whit-zen.
Five tribal members are working with the tribe’s archaeologist, Bill White, to sift through the last of the soil unearthed at the property along Marine Drive when the state Department of Transportation’s graving yard was under construction about seven years ago.
The work was supposed to be finished late last year, but poor weather hampered that effort.
White said the archeological work started again about three weeks ago and will be completed about the end of the month.
White said that about 200 artifacts, many of them etched stones and arrow heads, have been found over the last few weeks. Some bone fragments also have been found.
Last year, 2,134 artifacts were found in the soil.
Many of those artifacts, along with the 64,793 artifacts uncovered by construction of the graving yard, will be held at a facility at the Tse-whit-zen site.
The graving yard, which was to build replacement components for the Hood Canal bridge, was abandoned because of the uncovering of the relics and human burials, some dating back more than 2,000 years.
White said construction of the facility for the artifacts may begin next year.
Most of the artifacts are being stored at the Burke Museum in Seattle in the meantime.
The tribe also intends to display artifacts in a museum at the same site.
Lower Elwha Klallam Chairwoman Frances Charles said construction of the museum is intended to begin in 2012.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
