James Chatters
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James C. Chatters (born March 20, 1949) is an American
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
and
paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
. , he is the owner of forensics consulting firm, Applied Paleoscience; and serves as a research associate in the Office of Graduate Studies, Research, and Continuing Education at
Central Washington University Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington, United States. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academi ...
; Deputy Coroner of
Benton County, Washington Benton County is a County (United States), county in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 206,873. The county seat is Prosser, Wash ...
; and a consulting scientist on staff with Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation of
Bothell, Washington Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington in the Eastside region. It had a population of 48,161 reside ...
. In 1996, Chatters was the first scientist to excavate and study the
prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
(
Paleo-Indian Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...
) skeletal remains, known as
Kennewick Man Kennewick Man or Ancient One was a Native American man who lived during the early Holocene, whose skeletal remains were found in 1996 washed out on a bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Radiocarbon tests show the man lived a ...
, which were discovered on the banks of the
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
.


Educational background

James Chatters attended
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
in
Pullman, Washington Pullman is the most populous city in Whitman County, located in southeastern Washington within the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. The population was 32,901 at the 2020 census, and estimated to be 32,508 in 2022. Originally founded as ...
, graduating in 1971 with a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in anthropology. He then enrolled in the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, where he continued his study of anthropology, earning his
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
and
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
in 1975 and 1982, respectively.


Professional background

Since 1964, Chatters has participated in archeological studies and excavations, and provided
osteological Osteology () is the scientific study of bones, practiced by osteologists . A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, archaeology and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morp ...
analyses throughout the western US and the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
, as well as
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, the province of
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
in Canada, and the country of Brazil. After earning his Master's degree in 1975, he began participating in paleoecological projects in the western US, along with
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. In the fall of 1977, he served as an archeologist in the
Custer National Forest Custer National Forest is located primarily in the south central part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections. While in the we ...
in
Watford City, North Dakota Watford City ( Hidatsa: abaʔaruʔush), founded in 1914, is a city in and the county seat of McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2020 census, making it the 13th most populous city in North Dakota. Beca ...
. The following year, he returned to the University of Washington, to pursue his Ph.D. in anthropology, while simultaneously serving as the acting director of the Office of Public Archeology for the school. From 1980–81, he served as an assistant professor with the department of anthropology at Central Washington University, and in 1982, he began serving as the associate director of the Central Washington Archaeological Survey. In 1987, Chatters relocated to the Tri-Cities, where he joined the staff of
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington ...
, also known as Battelle-Northwest, serving as senior research scientist in the environmental sciences department. He held this role until 1993, when he chose to establish the forensics consulting firm if Applied Paleoscience. It is in this role that he has provided forensic analysis and scientific research for government agencies, law enforcement officials, and tribal nations throughout the Northwest.


Ancient One discovery

On July 28, 1996, two local students, Will Thomas and Dave Deacy, discovered a skull embedded in the mud and underbrush of the south bank of the
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
, while they were wandering alongside the river during the Tri-City Water Follies hydroplane boat races.Hunt, Morton M.
The New Know-Nothings: The Political Foes of the Scientific Study of Human Nature
', Transaction Publishers, page 320, 1999.
After they alerted a local police officer, a local dive team went out to the area, gathered more bone fragments along with the skull, then taped off the shore for protection, as a possible crime scene. At the time of the discovery, Chatters owned a forensics consulting business called Applied Paleoscience, in which he often worked with local government officials and law enforcement to assist with criminal investigations.Meltzer, David J.
First Peoples in a New World: Colonizing Ice Age America
', University of California Press, page 177, 2009.
He also consulted with Northwest tribes to assist with protection and repatriation of Native American remains discovered throughout the Columbia Basin. On the early evening of the discovery, the Benton County Coroner, Floyd Johnson, called Chatters to ask him to take a look at the skull to determine if it belonged to a current or recent crime victim. Chatters, eager to help, invited Johnson to bring the skull over to his home, after which they quickly returned to the discovery site to gather more skeletal remains, before the sun would set that evening. His initial assessment determined that the skull displayed characteristics consistent with ancient Paleo-Indian remains. Subsequent tests determined that the remains dated back to a calibrated age of 9,800 years. Chatters' scientific findings brought controversy to the discovery and triggered a nine-year legal battle between scientists, the
US Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
, and Native American tribes, who attempted to claim the remains as one of their ancestors, in accordance with the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Pub. L. 101-601, 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., 104 Stat. 3048, is a United States federal law enacted on November 16, 1990. The Act includes three major sets of provisions. The "re ...
(NAGPRA). Various Northwest tribes, including the Umatilla,
Yakama The Yakama are a Native Americans in the United State, Native American tribe with nearly 10,851 members, based primarily in Eastern Washington, eastern Washington (state), Washington state. Yakama people today are enrolled in the federally rec ...
, Colville,
Nez Perce The Nez Perce (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region h ...
, and
Wanapum The Wanapum (also Wanapam) tribe of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans formerly lived along the Columbia River from above Priest Rapids down to the mouth of the Snake River in what is now the US state of Washington (state), Was ...
nations all asserted rights to claim the remains for immediate reburial, without further scientific study or examination. The US Army Corps of Engineers, who oversaw the land where the remains were found, agreed to comply with the requests of the tribes. Before the transfer could be made, eight scientists filed a lawsuit asserting their legal right to study the remains. They believed that the bones were a rare national treasure, that held the potential to reveal vital information about the peopling of the North American continent.''Bonnichsen, et al. v. United States, et al.,''
no. 02-35994 (9th Cir. Feb. 4, 2004)
In 2002, a federal court in the state of
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
ruled that the tribes failed to establish viable and definitive cultural links between themselves and Ancient One, formerly known as,
Kennewick Man Kennewick Man or Ancient One was a Native American man who lived during the early Holocene, whose skeletal remains were found in 1996 washed out on a bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Radiocarbon tests show the man lived a ...
. This ruling opened up the way for Chatters and the team of eight scientists to study the remains. Following an appeal in February 2004, a panel of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
upheld the decision. The ruling additionally set a precedent, ensuring that any future discovery of ancient remains would also be made available for scientific studies. However, in 2015, Ancient One, formerly known as,
Kennewick Man Kennewick Man or Ancient One was a Native American man who lived during the early Holocene, whose skeletal remains were found in 1996 washed out on a bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Radiocarbon tests show the man lived a ...
was shown to be more closely related to local indigenous populations than to any other group, worldwide, thanks to DNA analysis."Rasmussen et al. 2015. ''Nature'' 523: 455-458"
/ref> Using
craniometry Craniometry is measurement of the cranium (the main part of the skull), usually the human cranium. It is a subset of cephalometry, measurement of the head, which in humans is a subset of anthropometry, measurement of the human body. It is d ...
, a team had concluded that Ancient One, formerly known as
Kennewick Man Kennewick Man or Ancient One was a Native American man who lived during the early Holocene, whose skeletal remains were found in 1996 washed out on a bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Radiocarbon tests show the man lived a ...
, was related to Western- or South-Pacific populations such as the Ainu or the
Polynesians Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia, which encompasses the islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sout ...
.


Published works

* Chatters, James C.
Ancient Encounters: Kennewick Man and the First Americans
', Simon & Schuster, 2001. * Chatters, James C. (ed.); Prentiss, Anna (ed.); and Kuijt, Ian (ed.).
Macroevolution in Human Prehistory: Evolutionary Theory and Processual Archaeology
', Springer Publishing, 2009.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatters, James 21st-century American anthropologists American paleontologists 1949 births Living people 20th-century American archaeologists 21st-century American archaeologists