A 9,000-year-old skeleton that sparked legal battles between scientists and Native Americans. DNA finally proved he was ancestral to modern tribes.
A contentious discovery
On July 28, 1996, two college students wading in the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington, found a human skull. Subsequent searches uncovered a nearly complete skeleton—one of the oldest ever found in North America. Radiocarbon dating showed the man lived between 8,400 and 8,690 years ago. The individual stood about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed around 160 pounds, and died at approximately 40 years of age.
The discovery quickly became controversial. The initial anthropological assessment noted the skull had a long, narrow shape and features that did not resemble modern Native Americans, leading to speculation about "Caucasoid" traits. This assessment ignited a decades-long conflict. A coalition of five local tribes, including the Umatilla, Colville, and Yakama, asserted the remains were of an ancestor they call the Ancient One. They sought to rebury him under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Simultaneously, a group of eight scientists filed a lawsuit to prevent the reburial, arguing for their right to study the skeleton.
A case for the courts and labs
The legal battle lasted for nearly 20 years. The central issue was whether the remains could be defined as "Native American" under NAGPRA, which requires a clear cultural affiliation to a modern tribe. In 2004, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the scientists, determining that a direct link had not been established. This decision permitted a period of intense scientific study. The remains were housed at the Burke Museum in Seattle for safekeeping during this time.
Detailed analysis of the skeleton revealed a life of hardship. The man had several healed injuries, including fractures on his ribs and skull, and arthritis in his elbow and knees. A 79-millimeter stone spear point was embedded in his right hip bone. The bone had healed around the projectile, indicating he survived the attack, which likely occurred when he was between 15 and 20 years old. Isotope analysis of his bones showed a diet high in marine mammals, suggesting he spent significant time along the coast before being buried far inland.
The final word from DNA
The dispute was resolved by genetic science. In 2015, a team led by geneticist Eske Willerslev at the University of Copenhagen successfully sequenced the man's genome from a fragment of a hand bone. The results were unambiguous. The Kennewick Man's DNA was more closely related to modern Native Americans than to any other population on Earth. The data showed a specific genetic affinity with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, one of the tribes that had claimed him as an ancestor.
This genetic evidence settled the legal question. In December 2016, legislation was passed to return the remains to the tribal coalition. On February 17, 2017, the Ancient One was removed from the Burke Museum. The following day, members of the five tribes reburied their ancestor in a private ceremony at an undisclosed location on the Columbia Plateau.
💡Fun Facts
A stone spear point was lodged in his hip bone, and the bone had healed around it, showing he survived the injury for many years.
Isotope analysis revealed a diet high in marine mammals like seals, indicating a coastal life, despite his remains being found hundreds of miles inland.
Physical analysis showed pronounced muscle attachments on his right arm, suggesting he spent his life throwing a spear, much like a modern baseball pitcher.
The skeleton was so complete, with over 350 bones recovered, that it is considered one of the most significant Paleo-Indian finds in North America.
The remains of the Ancient One are not on public display, as they have been reburied. The Burke Museum, which curated the remains, is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Admission
See the museum's website for current admission prices.
Accessibility
The Burke Museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users. The discovery site along the Columbia River is natural, uneven terrain.