HARTVILLE – A video documenting the history of significant archaeologic discoveries at Sunrise was presented during the October meeting of Sunrise Historic And Prehistoric Preservation Society (SHAPPS) in Hartville.
The film, created by Keaton DesPlanques of Durango, Colorado for SHAPPS, documented how the archaeologic site at the old mining town of Sunrise was saved by former Sunrise teacher and coach Wayne Powars.
The video explained, while teaching at the school he had discovered and submitted around 40 Clovis projectile points to the Smithsonian, and when he returned for a school reunion in 1986, he found out the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality was conducting a mine reclamation project around the old “Glory Hole” open-pit mine shaft at Sunrise, and the location of an ancient red ochre quarry was about to be bulldozed over in the process.
Powars made a call to the Smithsonian, and stated publicly at the time, he was willing to stop the dozers with his own body if necessary, but those drastic measures were not needed. His call went to the right people, and the reclamation project was put on hold, then later finished around the archaeologic site, leaving it undisturbed.
In 2005 the old mining town of Sunrise was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2021 the archaeologic site – now named Powars II Paleoindian Archaeologic Site followed suit, but only after a change in ownership. While he knew there was archaeologic interest in his land, Sunrise property owner Fred Ells wanted to keep his land private and did not allow access, but in 2011, Ells sold the property to Chugwater rancher John Voight. Voight’s intention was simply to use the property as a business venture, seeing if he could recover saleable material from old mine tailings.
When Voight was approached by Wyoming archaeologists Dr. George Frison and George Ziemens about the archaeologic potential, he agreed they could investigate to see what they could find. He has beens supportive of the efforts to uncover and record the entire history of Sunrise, and is allowing SHAPPS to convert the YMCA building into a cultural museum and interpretive center.
With “the Georges’” guidance – and a lot of volunteers willing to become stained red with the ochre in the soil –several thousand artifacts have been uncovered, including over 77 projectile points and multiple stone digging tools.

Ziemens said Powars II is the only known Paleo-Indian red ochre mine in north America, and the site has produced more projectile points than possibly any other site to date. Multiple experts, including the world’s premier expert in stone-age tools and professor Emeritis of the University of Exeter, have looked at the artifacts and stated they believe what was originally labeled as Clovis points, are actually their own variation and are older than Clovis. The style of point is similar to Goshen points, and since the labeled names are given by the location they are found, over 30 of the points were re-labeled as Sunrise point-types. The oldest dates for Powars II from three separate types of tests go back 14,000 – 16,000 years.
“Point types are a cultural identification. [The Sunrise point] indicates an archaeologic culture or people group we don’t know about,” Bradley said.
Natural erosion in the area endangered some of the integrity of the site, and in 2019 there was earthwork done by Wyoming DEQ at the request of Zeimans to stabilize the steep hillside from further erosion and preserve the integrity of the site.
In the film, Dr. Frison – who passed away in 2020 at the age of 94 – is recorded as saying, “The more you look at it, the more interesting it becomes…we keep seeing new data not seen anywhere else... Hopefully [this site will] open our knowledge and add to the database of what we know about Clovis.”
He also said discoveries in archaeology are not about big, quick discoveries, but “small increments of knowledge” that build on each other to give us a clearer picture of pre-history.
Respected experts and researchers from around the world have traveled to Sunrise to participate in these discoveries. Nations represented by those scientists include Brazil, Uruguay, Israel, Egypt, Netherlands, Germany, Vietnam, and Australia.
SHAPPS is the overseer of Powars II (plus Sunrise mining history), and their combined historic significance from pre-history to modern day. SHAPPS has also established a partnership with Eastern Wyoming Community College to integrate the Powars II site into a hands-on learning program for archaeologic, anthropologic, and geologic students under the direction of Dr. Steve Howard.
Howard explained there are no artifacts found in the red ochre quarry trench younger than 9,000 years, and sometime around 3,000 years ago it appears the site was abandoned. The reason for this is surmised from records describing caves and artifacts discovered before mining began at Sunrise’s Glory Hole and the nearby Chicago Mine. The natives may have found a source of red ochre with easier access sometime around that timeframe.
Another curious finding pieced together by experts is evidence suggesting a plausible theory the mine might also have been used for ceremonial purposes, depositing used or re-worked projectile points as an offering of thanks for a successful hunting seasons. “We don’t know for sure. When we find campsites we will know more,” Howard predicted.
Currently, volunteers led by principal investigator Ziemens, are seeking evidence of the campsite which must have been used by the ancient peoples while the mine was active. One possible site which was highlighted during public tours this summer revealed many small pieces of information to the puzzle of Sunrise’s pre-history. Another location which piqued interest on the surface was opened up this weekend. Ziemens explained, he carefully works on potential sites through the off-season to remove the overburden. Then, when scientific experts come this summer, their expertise can be utilized the best way possible.
Gary Alkire of Gering, Nebraska shared his enthusiasm for the work being done at Sunrise, and, referencing the film, said it is amazing to see the history that has been discovered, and how close things came to being completely destroyed, not only from mining but also from nature’s forces. “It is an amazing, amazing piece,” he said.
The film will be made available on the SHAPPS website to its members. For more information, see www.shapps.org, or call 307-331-8810.