The Fall SLV Archaeological Network trip to Southwest Colorado was attended by nine members who were treated to an overview of SW Colorado Archaeology. The first stop on the tour was the Bureau of Land Management operated Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores where research assistant Carolyn Landis led us through the centers curation and research sections. We were allowed to inspect type collections of artifacts, pottery, animal bone, and plant specimens which are used to help identify remains from archaeological contexts, Collections of chipped stone artifacts, grinding stones, pottery, and samples of soil used for pollen analysis are among the items in the collections which are mostly from the Dolores Archaeological Project (DAP) conducted the 1970`s prior to the filling of McPhee Reservoir. The DAP was one of the largest archaeological investigations ever undertaken. The artifact curation and research facility is well equipped with state of-the-art storage and research facilities where researchers utilize the collections of cultural material and supporting information stored the center. After the tour there was time to visit the exhibits in the museum portion of the center including two special exhibits "Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province" and "The Healing Power of Plants" highlighting the special value of wild plants in traditional cultures. The exhibits also addressed issues of plant conservation including declining wild plant populations due to logging, grazing, mining, over collecting, introduced plants, and the absence of natural fire in the ecosystem.

On Saturday Jeanne & Don Tucker, SLV Archaeological Network members from Cortez, led us on a tour of sites including the Boulder Canyon site, a Pueblo III site on BLM Land to the west of Cortez, where numerous pottery sherds and other artifacts were found and inspected by the group. Nearby rock art sites with depictions of human figures, concentric circles, animal figures, pottery-like designs, and handprints were visited. Hovenweep National Monument, the main stop on the tour is thought to have been inhabited by people culturally similar to resident Mesa Verde, By about 1200 AD groups of Pueblo people had moved into the heads of the canyons at Hovenweep where permanent springs were located. They built pueblos and towers, which were probably constructed to protect the springs. Other evident cultural features at Hovenweep are check-dams, constructed to hold back soil and provide water for crops of corn, beans, and squash. The lost site visited was Lowry Pueblo, pit house village in the 8th century later becoming a pueblo around 1100 AD. Remains of forty rooms and eight kivas, inciuding an adjacent Great Kiva are found at Lowry. Similarities to the Chaco culture are seen as evidenced by similar stonework. We wish to extend a sincere "Thank You" to our hosts and able tour guides who took the time to lead us on this exciting tour of southwest Colorado.

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REMINDER TO JOIN THE COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

The Mission of the SLV Archaeological Network is to protect, preserve and restore archaeological sites in the San Luis Valley by means of identification and recording, site sponsorship, educational programs, exhibits, and tours to adults and children, in cooperation with government agencies, private landowners, archaeological organizations and other groups with similar interests, Archaeological ethics, as stated by the Colorado Archaeological Society, will be adhered to by members of the group. With the above in mind SLV Archaeological Network members are urged to join the Colorado Archaeological Society (CAS) as individual or family members. Membership includes a subscription to Southwestern Lore the outstanding official publication of CAS. This journal of Colorado archaeology, in existence since the 1930's, presents research pertaining to a wide variety of subjects.

COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP FORM

I (we) agree to abide by the CAS Code of Ethics.

Name(s) _____________________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________________________

PS. I am a member of the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network,
Membership Type: Individual_ Family_ Amount: Enclosed (indiv. $12.50, Family $20.00)

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: THE COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND SEND TO: AUDREY MERRITT, CAS MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON, 4115 BALSAM, WHEAT RIDGE CO 80033. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL AUDREY AT 303431-9060.

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HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY PAAC CLASS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 6TH TO 8TH

Sign up NOW for the next class on the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) entitled "Historical Archaeology." Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist, will teach this course in Alamosa on November 6 to 8 for $12 a student. The course includes a survey of Colorado history from 1540 to 1940, identification of historical artifacts and structures, and research techniques and resources. This course is important to the study of the complete cultural history of a region. For more information call Loretta Mitson at 589-6740 or 843-5328. Class size is limited, To reserve your place mail a check for $12 to SLV Archaeological Network, Box 231, Manassa CO 81101.

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FOREST SERVICE "PASSPORTS IN TIME PROJECT"

From July 12th to the 1 8th eight participants in the USDA Forest Service "Passports in Time" (PIT) volunteer program, helped document historic and prehistoric sites in the vicinity of the historic mining town of Bonanza, located in the mountains to the west of Villa Grove. Bonanza, a mining town dating back to 1880 when silver, lead, copper, and zinc were found, boomed from 1880 to 1888. Sporadic mining activity continued in until the 1950s.

Tasks accomplished by the volunteers, including SLV Archaeological Network member Holly Felmlee and her son Prester, included mapping historic remains at the Rawley mine site, performing archaeological test excavations at the dump and privy at the site of an identified boardinghouse, and finding and recording a prehistoric site on Little Kerber Creek.

Test excavations at the Rawley mine boardinghouse, dating from 1918 to the 1930s, yielded a number of artifacts including boot soles (probably left by a cobbler), a talc marker like those used by tailors, a work boot, portions of a magazine story entitled "Scoundrels of Broadway", buttons, a medicine bottle, a matchbox, a pipe and pipe stem, tobacco cans, a metal chain, a comic strip, and a pencil. A detailed map was made of building remains and artifact locations at the Rawley 12 mine site where old photographs were used to identify the locations of individual buildings.

The prehistoric open camp site found and recorded had numerous surface artifacts including groundstone, projectile point fragments (including 2 Pinto Basin types, a Middle Archaic type, and a Late Paleoindian type), cores, scrapers, retouched flakes and concentrations of flakes. Most of the material was chert with some obsidian, chalcedony, and quartzite. The site is located on an open terrace above Little Kerber Creek.

The summer week of beautiful weather, great company, fun camping at the Brewery Creek Guard Station, and hard work went much too fast for both the volunteer team, and team leaders. San Juan/Rio Grande National Forest Archaeologists Vince Spero & Ken Frve were project leaders.

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO INVENTORY DOCUMENTS
FOR THE SLV ARCHAEOLOGICAL NETWORK LIBRARY

A number of books and documents pertaining to Colorado archaeology and other subjects need to be inventoried before they can become a part of the SLV Archaeological Network Library. A volunteer is needed to inventory the items and get the library ready for use by members. If you would like to volunteer please call Vince Spero at 852-6242 work o 873-5916 home. The collection is located at the Rio Grande National Forest Headquarters in Monte Vista.

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