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The San Luis ValleyARCHAEO-UPDATEThe Bulletin of the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network Vol. 3 No. 6, December 1998 |
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Contents:
SLV ARCHAEOLOGICAL NETWORK BUSINESS MEETING SCHEDULED ON JANUARY 9
HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY PAAC CLASS ATTENDED BY TWENTY-THREE
FOREST SERVICE "PASSPORTS IN TIME PROJECT" TO BE CONDUCTED AT HISTORIC BONANZA
EARLY ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY
SUMMER
1999 TEST EXCAVATIONS PLANNED AT COCHETOPA PASS
During June of 1999 test excavations will be undertaken at the site of a concentration of prehistoric stone structures overlooking Saguache Creek at the base of Cochetopa Pass, to the west of the town of Saguache. The project, sponsored by the Rio Grande National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management San Luis Resource Area, and the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network, will be done as a part of the Cochetopa Pass Heritage Corridor Project. Goals of this project are to identify and preserve cultural resource sites from the town of Saguache to the summit of Cochetopa Pass. Information gained will be made available for educational curricula and public interpretation and education use.
The stone structure site type in the San Luis Valley was noted by E.B. Renaud in 1942 and 1944 during field season along the lower part of the Rio Grande into New Mexico. The site type has increasingly been identified in foothill type areas of the San Luis Valley. The sites tend to be vandalized and there are limited numbers of them that are undisturbed. The structures that will be tested do not exhibit evidence of extensive disturbance therefore, a complete record of the function and cultural affiliation of this site type can be expected. Several Archaeological Network volunteers, especially those that have attended the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) training, will be recruited to help with the testing program. More information pertaining to this test excavation opportunity will be coming your way in future Archaeo-Updates.
SLV ARCHAEOLOGICAL
NETWORK BUSINESS MEETING SCHEDULED ON JANUARY 9
An Archaeological Network business meeting will be held at the Rio Grande National Forest Supervisors Office to the west of Monte Vista on Saturday, January 9, 1999 at 11:00 AM. Items to be discussed will be future field trips and summer archaeological investigations, participation in the the Cochetopa Pass Heritage Corridor Project, the possibility of helping with the the Alamosa High School Archaeology Club, possible Science Fair participation, and the purchase of needed equipment. All interested members are invited to attend. Please call Vince Spero at 852-6242 at work or 873-5916 at home for more information.
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY PAAC CLASS ATTENDED BY TWENTY-THREE
Twenty-three students completed the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) "Historical Archaeology" class in November. Taught by Kevin Black, Assistant Colorado State Archaeologist, the class detailed Colorado history from 1540 to 1940. Topics covered included the identification of historical artifacts and structures and research techniques and resources.
Five additional families joined the SLV Archaeological Network as a result of participating in this excellent educational series. The class proved to be so popular that seven students were turned away due to class size limitations. The next offering in this popular series of classes will be "Rock Art Studies" offered from April 9 70 11, 1999. This class is considered very pertinent because of the number of intriguing rock art sites located in the San Luis Valley.
FOREST
SERVICE "PASSPORTS IN TIME PROJECT"
TO BE CONDUCTED AT HISTORIC BONANZA
The USDA Forest Service "Passports in Time" (PIT) volunteer program, "Historical Investigations at Bonanza, Colorado" will continue from July 11 to 17, 1999. In 1998 the San Juan/Rio Grande National Forest sponsored the PIT project where volunteers helped document historic and prehistoric sites near Bonanza, which is located in the mountains to the west of the town of Villa Grove. The town dates back to 1880 when silver, lead, copper, and zinc were found causing it to boom. Sporadic mining activity continued until the 1950s.
In 1998 tasks accomplished by volunteers, including SLV Archaeological Network member Holly Felmlee and her son Prester, were mapping of historic building remains at the Rawley mine site, performance of archaeological test excavations at the dump and privy of an identified boardinghouse, and finding and recording a prehistoric site on Little Kerber Creek.
Activities in 1999 will include additional site mapping, continued inventory to identify additional prehistoric sites, and further excavation of the Rawley Mine boarding house dump and privy. There will be an opportunity for several San Luis Valley Archaeological Network members to help with the investigations. Please look for more information about the Bonanza PIT project in upcoming Archaeo-Updates.
There will be more information about this upcoming course in the next Archaeo-Update. 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.
EARLY
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY
Early archaeological investigations in the Rio Grande drainage of Colorado, beginning in the late 1930s and 1940s, have generally been limited in scope and scale, Some investigations of note include that of A. L. Pearsall, who explored along the Rio Grande to the New Mexico border in 1939. Pearsall reported on the presence of artifactual evidence of Pueblo culture in the San Luis Valley including Bandelier Black-on Gray pottery which was found near the Rio Grande to the south of Alamosa. Following Pearsall, C.T. Hurst of Gunnison, conducted archaeological fieldwork in the Saguache area between 1939 and 1943. Hurst's work included the reporting of Folsom sites in the San Luis Valley.
Etienne
Bernardeau Renaud, as Denver University's director of Archaeological
Survey of the High Plains from 1930 to 1947, performed archaeological
inventory work in the Rio Grande drainage in Colorado and in northern
New Mexico. Renaud defined the "Upper Rio Grande Culture"
in 1944, as extending on both sides of the Rio Grande Into New Mexico.
Upper Rio Grande sites were classified by Renaud as campsites, lookouts,
and crescent shaped windbreaks, which sheltered identified work areas.
Lithic material associated with the Upper Rio Grande Culture were usually
of black stone consisting of basalt and obsidian. Artifact types found
included cores, unifacial side scrapers, ovate, discoidal, and blade
shaped bifaces, bifacial choppers, drills, gravers, pounders, and oval,
roundish, or sub-rectangular manos. Projectile points are described
as being relatively long, broad, and shouldered with the lateral edges
ground.
Other early investigators were Harold and Elizabeth Huscher, who inventoried and reported on stone structure remains in the Saguache and other areas of the San Luis Valley such as Wagon Wheel Gap, in 1943. The stone structures were reported to have circular or curved walls, dry-laid masonry, and locations on high points or mesa rims. They were often found with small corner notched projectile points.
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