Moab Man

By Jennifer Gianetti

Discovery

What is the Moab Man?

The Moab Man refers to the discovery of several human remains in the Keystone Azurite Mine, a mine located near Moab, Utah. !!!!!!!!! At least six different human skeletons were found; they were stained blue-green from the mineral known as Malachite. Scholars theorize the bones were either the product of a cave in, or a burial ceremony of the ancestral 6th and 7th century A.D. Puebloan people. Unfortunately, the original placement of the remains was disrupted by bulldozer activity. This made it difficult for archaeologists working the case to identify the stratigraphic and cultural context of the bones. !!!!!!!!

Who are Lin Ottinger and John Marwitt?

Lin Ottinger is known as a local celebrity of Moab, Utah; in 1960, he opened up a rock shop located on Main Street. As the owner of Lin Ottinger's Moab Rock Shop, Ottinger sells rocks and arrowheads to the tourists that visit Moab each year. !!!!!!!!! His shop doubles as a museum, housing dinosaur bones, petrified wood, fossils, and the malachite-covered remains found in the Keystone Azurite Mine. In addition to owning and operating his Moab Rock Shop, Lin Ottinger took groups on tours around the Canyonland National Park until 1980, when he decided to retire from the touring business. !!!!!!! John Marwitt was