The Council of British Archaeology (CBA) has reported that archaeologists found more than 40,000 artifacts at Jackson Hole in Wyoming.

The excavations began in the summer of 2010 at the Game Creek. The earliest findings, so far, is of a fire pit, which has been approximately dated at 8,000 BCE, but accompanying arrowheads and spear heads, which would corroborate the dating, are yet to be found.

It is believed that at the time of the fire pit, the climate in the area, compared to today, was warmer and wetter in the summer and colder & dryer in the winter. The impact of this is that the summers would have produced more forage which, in turn, would have sustained greater numbers and variety of fauna, leading to a sustained larger population.

The dryer winters could also have contributed to the forage bank. But speculation on the year-round occupancy is just speculation, they say.

However, considerable analysis of the artifacts is still to be done to either prove or disprove the theory, including analysis of the animal bones discovered, which could reveal the time of the year in which they were killed.

It is hoped to expand the excavations next year to the west of the road, where an even higher density of artifacts has been found.