From 2000 to 2001, the remains of seventy-nine individuals were excavated from an ancient cemetery on the Gulf Coast of Texas known as Buckeye Knoll. Early in 2002, the Alabama-Coushatta, Choctaw, Comanche, Caddo and Tonkawa tribes, desiring their ancestors rest peacefully, attempted to stop the project but were unsuccessful. Preliminary laboratory studies of the remains now show that they range between 600 and 11,000 years old, making Buckeye Knoll one of the most important Early Archaic sites in North America. This has convinced federal officials to continue work on the bones despite the tribes’ objections. The tribes are now considering legal action to end the study.
