Late 19th century ceramics, stoneware, and bottle glass from the Young Farmstead located south of Woodburn, Oregon.

The state of Oregon protects complex and diverse archaeological sites ranging from organically rich shell middens along the Pacific Coast, to mid 19th century homesteads in the Willamette Valley, to lithic scatters in the Cascade Mountains, to well preserved rock shelter sites in the Great Basin.

The largest funder of archaeological research in Oregon is the Department of Transportation (ODOT).  The growth of Oregon together with bridge replacements and safety improvements to our highways create potential impacts to archaeological sites.  ODOT archaeologists, along with the University of Oregon's Museum of Anthropology, work as a team to identify prehistoric and historical archaeological sites within potential impact areas.  At ODOT, the goal is to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to archaeological sites.

Collection of well preserved fiber sandals dating thousands of years in age.  Dry conditions in Great Basin rockshelters preserve a myriad of prehistoric organic materials.