SPOKANE, Wash – Federal prosecutors charged a man with disturbing an archaeological site and damaging federal resources for stealing artifacts in the Umatilla National Forest.
According to the declaration of probable cause, Shane Dee Caldwell was working as a state employee at the time when his co-worker told a Pomeroy district ranger that Caldwell was digging up artifacts.
The co-worker said Caldwell would disappear from the job site for several hours at a time and that he found Caldwell digging holes. The same co-worker said he had been to Caldwell’s home and that Caldwell showed him “multiple Native American artifacts.”
An archaeologist for the ranger district inspected the site and “believed someone was doing the digging, knew there were artifacts present, and would likely have used shovels, buckets and screens.”
The archaeologist said the area is located within the traditional homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe.
Forest service archaeologists had previously found projectile points dating from 5,000 years ago to 200 years ago.
Investigators placed trail cameras in the area and saw Caldwell near the site on several occasions, at least once carrying a hoe or rake and once carrying a large rock.
Prosecutors say that investigators searched Caldwell’s home on February 8, 2024 and found 522 artifacts.
“Of the 522 artifacts, archaeologists concluded 514 of the artifacts are considered ‘archaeological’ or ‘archaeological resources'” according to the charging documents.
Archaeologists believe at least some of them came from the Nez Perce site.
Prosecutors just filed the charges in U.S. District Court.
If convicted, Caldwell faces up to six months in prison and up to $5,000 in fines for each charge.
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