Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Summer 2026
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
Committee Chair
Dr. Patrick Lubinski
Second Committee Member
Dr. Patrick McCutcheon
Third Committee Member
Dr. Daniel Herman
Abstract
The Robber’s Roost site, located in the town of Ellensburg, Washington, was excavated in a partnership between Central Washington Archaeological Survey and Kittitas County Youth Services in the summers of 1986 and 1988. In 2023, the collection consisted of 110 boxes of artifacts including bottle glass, ceramics, leather, and faunal remains, with no significant prior analysis and little information on the dig itself. The purpose of this thesis is to document this poorly-known excavation project and gain a better understanding of Ellensburg’s history through analysis of the artifacts recovered. I compiled all the available paper records and communicated with past excavators to reconstruct the history of the project, and make an inventory for future researchers. An unusual element of the excavation was its role as a community service project for juvenile offenders. I completed analyses of all artifacts from the bottom-most levels of the excavation, which was 80-120 cm below datum from 1986 and natural levels 8-11 from 1988. This sample included 5 kaolin pipes, 2 faunal artifacts, a Frozen Charlotte doll, 1,047 glass shards, and 103 ceramic sherds. Since these artifacts dated mostly 1880-1910, I conclude the thesis with snapshots of Ellensburg history ca. 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910 using the artifacts, maps of nearby contemporary businesses, and example Ellensburg businesses from the period. This project improves our understanding of early Ellensburg while also highlighting an unusual community archaeology project from 40 years ago.
Recommended Citation
American Antiquity