10,000-Year-Old Jewelry Found During Raleigh Highway Project

Archeologists found a host of ancient artifacts while preparing to clear land for the Interstate 540 project in Raleigh, including jewelry that dates back about 10,000 years.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation sent its archeology unit to the area to search for any artifacts that may remain ahead of the last expansion of the Triangle Expressway. Unit leader Matt Wilkerson was surprised to find more than 155 sites with the ancient items.

The unit collaborated with other archeologists to search for artifacts and document the work, including Susan Bamann with Commonwealth Heritage Group. Bamann said a piece of personal adornment was one of the group's most exciting finds, with the broken and previously polished stone about 10,000 years old.

"It's a two-holed item that someone would have suspended as a piece of personal decoration or ornamentation," she said. "At least that's what we believe these items are. So, finding something that's a personal item from someone who lived here, and camped here is, I think, is just one of those things that makes all of this extra interesting because it's a little bit of a glimpse into the past."

Other items of note include ancient tools and a broken pot that appeared to be from 500 A.D., which Bamann hopes they'll be able to reconstruct.

"We'll probably do some chemical analysis on it. It's possible to extract residues from the wall of the ceramic vessel and determine the kinds of foods that were being cooked in the vessel," she said. "That's really exciting."

According to ABC 11, all of the artifacts collected at the site will end up at the North Carolina Office of State Archeology.

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