New book, “About” Powars II PaleoIndian Red Ochre Mine In Eastern Wyoming, published

SUNRISE – It’s one for the record books – literally. “About” is a new high quality hardcover book about the discoveries so far at the Powars II PaleoIndian red …

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New book, “About” Powars II PaleoIndian Red Ochre Mine In Eastern Wyoming, published

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SUNRISE – It’s one for the record books – literally. “About” is a new high quality hardcover book about the discoveries so far at the Powars II PaleoIndian red ochre mine in Sunrise. According to one of the book’s authors, George M. Zeimens, it is a detailed book presented in everyday language – not laden with technical terms that makes scientific papers difficult to understand. The book also boasts many color pictures of the site and the finds.
“A red ochre mine is red – you can’t see that in black-and-white, and people like to see color pictures,” Zeimens said.
The book is the result of a promise Zeimens made to Dr. George C. Frison, his good friend and mentor. Before he passed in 2020, Dr. Frison made “the other George” Zeimens promise to finish the book and make sure it was published so it was available for everyone to read.
“I know it’s time for younger generations to take over, but it’s hard to walk away from something as interesting as the Powars II site and the PaleoIndian red ochre mine,” he said in a speech at a public tour of Sunrise and the Powars II red ochre mine in 2017. During the speech he said: at the end of the day, there have been uncovered a selection of stone tools, weapons, and pieces discarded during manufacturing (or mining). “When they are studied and viewed, they tell us something about the people that made and used them,” he said.
Though the ancient peoples were mining red ochre, they also brought projectile points which had been used, and carefully deposited them back at the red ochre mine, which is the only one known about today in all of North America. There have been some very significant discoveries at the Powars II site, and there is still a lot to be learned.
“…From what we have, we can only say we’ve barely scratched the surface of what the Powars II site can tell us about PaleoIndians of North America. So, future PaleoIndian studies should be very interesting, and the Powars II site should be the center of all these studies,” Dr. Frison stated.
Dr. Frison, a Wyoming native, was thrilled in his latter years to have had the opportunity to use his connections to help begin initial exploration of the the Powars II site at Sunrise and help it to become a registered national historic site, but the fact he was able to get his hands and tools stained red ochre red by participating in the significant dig site was a dream come true. Dr. Frison was passionate about learning what he could about early peoples through the preserved records of bones and stones, and he felt Powars II was a culmination of his life’s work. He also wanted everyone to know the significance of the discovery.
The book “About” The Powars II PaleoIndian Red Ochre Mine In Eastern Wyoming details projectile point discoveries and the importance of the site in helping understand the peoples of ancient North America.

The result of initial studies of the red ochre mine made it clear: Powars II is a world-class archaeologic site as the only known red ochre mine in North America, as well as the number of unique finds, and the complexity of the site.
Zeimens said Powars II is one of the most important sites giving us information about PaleoIndian (early man). There have been several good carbon-dated samples of artifacts from 14,000 to 15,000 years ago – earlier than the previously-documented “Clovis” people (13,000 – 13,500 years ago) who were for a time thought to be the earliest peoples in North America.
“…And there have been projectile points that indicate the site was utilized by every known PaleoIndian cultural complex on the Western High Plains,” Zeimens said.
When several Clovis-like projectile points were discovered at Powars II, Zeimens said they initially stated they had discovered Clovis points; however, after being studied closely by several of the foremost flintknapping experts in the world, it was determined without doubt the points were technologically different than Clovis. They were also older; the points have since been dubbed “Sunrise Points,” though there is a possibility just one of those found may be a true Clovis projectile.
There are current archeology projects to try to understand the puzzle on Sunrise’s valley floor as to where the associated campsites for the red ochre mine would have been, which could hopefully fill in the gaps to discover with evidence about not only the earliest known inhabitants of North America (who Zeimens said they have currently dubbed “Sunrise People”), but multiple other peoples who left behind evidence of their existence at the Powars II archaeologic site.
Powars II has been studied by well-known archaeologists from across the country and the world – several of whom contributed to the book compiled by Zeimens. Additionally, Eastern Wyoming Community College has partnered with Sunrise Historic and Prehistoric Preservation Society (SHAPPS), the non-profit organization whose goal is to record the history and oversee preservation efforts at Sunrise and the surrounding area. EWC’s archaeology and anthropology professor, Dr. Steve Howard, has integrated a field school at Powars II in Sunrise into his program.
The historic Sunrise YMCA building is being developed over time into a combination museum and research center. Landowner and enthusiastic observer to the archaeologic finds, John Voight, has donated all artifacts discovered to SHAPPS on the condition they remain on the property.
Between the geologic wonder of the Hartville uplift where Powars II is nestled near Sunrise, to the puzzle of early man, Zeimans said, “They’ll be working on this site 100 years after I’m gone.”
Anyone wanting to know more details on what has been discovered at Powars II can purchase their own copy, “About,” detailing the red ochre mine discoveries from SHAPPS (www.shapps.org) or calling 307-575-2010. Or, plan to visit Sunrise in person for their June 28, 2025 three-hour guided “grand tour” of the town and red ochre mine history beginning at 11 a.m. The book will be available for purchase at that time. (For more information on the tour, call 307-331-8810. Reservations not required, but there is an entrance fee for the tour.). There will also be an International and National Symposium hosted by SHAPPS and EWC, titled “Exploring Early Cultures in the Americas,’ planned for July 24 – 26. There will be a reception the evening of July 24 and July 25 at EWC’s Fine Arts Center with various speakers from multiple countries, as well as a day tour and activities on-site in Sunrise on the 25th and 26th. For more information, contact Steve Howard at 512-689-8324.
“George (Dr. Frison) taught me to look at all kinds of possibilities and alternatives when looking at artifacts in a site. Most of what we know is based on stones and bones since they don’t decay as fast as other artifacts, but there is so much more – so many variables – we don’t know about,” Zeimens said to explain why he hopes to find one of the campsites used during the timeframe the red ochre mine was being used: to learn as much as possible about the people that time forgot.
About Dr. Frison
Dr. George C. Frison was a well-known archaeologist not only in Wyoming, but nationally. He was also an internationally recognized figure in the world of archaeology, receiving – among other recognitions – the lifetime achievement award from the Society of American Archaeology, and the College of Arts and Sciences Medallion award. Dr. Frison had extensive experience on-site in multiple high-profile archaeologic discoveries. The George C. Frison Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Wyoming was named after the former state archaeologist who was a teacher at the university and wrote several books on prehistoric man, as well as a countless number of scientific papers. The Frison Institute, according to the uwyo.edu website, “is the engine that makes Wyoming archaeology go.”
About George Zeimens
George Zeimens worked under the supervision of Dr. Frison as assistant state archaeologist for several years in the ‘70s. Later, the two started the Western History Museum in Lingle, and worked together to organize groups of volunteers to help with several archaeologic “rescue” missions to document and preserve sites in the region before they were eroded away. The duo also worked together to study the stratified archaeologic record at the Hell Gap site, approximately eight miles from Powars II.