Oregon teacher discovers 14 prehistoric tools in his backyard

A math and science teacher digging on his property in Oregon's Willamette Valley was in for quite the surprise when he uncovered 14 ancient tools this past spring. "I dig and I find this black obsidian stone. I thought, that's a neat rock. I kind of tossed it aside, and kept digging," the teacher, referred to only as "David," told Oregon Public Broadcasting. But then David found another strange stone. And another.

Local archaeologist John Pouley identified the artifacts as bifaces, or pieces of obsidian that can easily be made into items like scrapers, spear points, or arrowheads, Archaeology reports. "Then you could also remove little flakes to have a sharp cutting edge to skin an animal that you know were going to eat for dinner," Pouley said.

Pouley believes the artifacts date back between 1,000 and 4,000 years ago, and belonged to the Kalapuya people. The obsidian, though, had come from a quarry in the Cascade Mountains some 80 miles away, and because the bifaces were in an unblemished condition, Pouley said, "It seems like this was part of a trade network and these themselves were commodities."

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While excavating the site, archeologists also found a 15th biface on the teacher's property. Exactly why the stones were abandoned by an ancient person or people at the site remains a mystery.