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The Kennewick Man Case | Court Documents | Status ReportsFederal Defendants' Update on Radiocarbon Test ResultsLOIS J. SCHIFFER ALLISON RUMSEY KRISTINE OLSON IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT Civil No. 96-1481-JE ROBSON BONNICHSEN, et al., v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al. FEDERAL DEFENDANTS' UPDATE ON RADIOCARBON TEST RESULTS The Department of the Interior still awaits the radiocar~on results from the University of Arizona. In recent conversations, the Arizona laboratory indicated that they will run the radiocarbon tests on approximately January 4 or 5, 2000 and will send the results to the agency shortly thereafter. The results from the University of California at Riverside were received December 20, 1999 and the Department of the Interior has the results from Beta Laboratories. Due to the low carbon found the samples -- not an unusual problem in ancient human remains -- the National Park Service will evaluate together the four dates received from all three laboratories. Declaration of Dr. Francis McManamon, December 21, 1999 (Attachment A). Dated this 21st day of December, 1999. Respectfully submitted, ALLISON RUMSEY KRISTINE OLSON, OSB 73254 TIMOTHY W. SIMMONS LOIS J. SCHIFFER ALLISON RUMSEY KRISTINE OLSON IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT Civil No. 96-1481 JE ROBSON BONNICHSEN, et al., v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al., Declaration of Francis P. McManamon, Ph.D. I, Francis P. McManamon, declare as follows: 1. I am Chief Archeologist of Ihe National Park Service and the Depanmental Consulting Archeologist for the U.S. Department of the Interior ("DOI'). My duties and responsibilities in this capacity are as set forth in my onginal declaration, which was filed with this Court on May 28, 1998. This declaration is being submitted in support of this filing in the above-styled matter. All information herein is based upon my personal knowledge and upon information furnished to me in my official capacity. 2. In the Federal Defendant's ninth status report, based on the testing laboratories' estimated testing time of six to eight weeks, my office anticipated completion of the radiocarbon test by mid-November, 1999. However according to the laboratories, processing of the samples has continued to be complicated due to the presence of only very small amounts of protein for dating, a condition not unusual for ancient human remains. In bone, it is the carbon from the collagen that is dated. When the amount of carbon is low and the structure of the bone collagen is deterioriated, as is the case in these samples, the source of the carbon must be evaluated carefully. In such circumstances intrusive carbon may be absorbed by the bone and affect the date obtained. In part, the delay results from additional analysis of the results due to the low carbon. 3. The status of the four test samples is as follows: 1) The sample at the University of Arizona Radiocarbon Laboratory, Tucson, has been processed, and the laboratory has informed me that the sample will be dated by January 3 or 4, 2000. We anticipate receiving the laboratory's report several days after the sample is dated; 2) The two samples delivered to the Radiocarbon Laboratory at the University of California, Riverside (UC-R) have been processed and dated and we have received their report; and 3) The sample from Beta Analytical, Inc., has been processed and ated and we have received their report. 4. The radiocarbon date results from the samples will be provided to the court after the National Park Service has received the reports from all four tests. Due to the low carbon found in the other samples, we plan to evaluate the dates we have received from Beta and UC-R in light of the date and sample description from the University of Arizona Radiocarbon Laboratory. We believe that it is important to evaluate all the results together to make the most accurate interpretation of the effect of low carbon in some of the samples. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed the 21st Day of December, 1999. Return to Status Reports |
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