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The San Luis ValleyARCHAEO-UPDATEThe Bulletin of the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network Vol. 4, No. 2, April 1999 |
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Contents:
STATUS OF SUMMER 1999 TEST EXCAVATIONS NEAR COCHETOPA
PASS
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY FIELD TRIP TO INCLUDE STOP AT
COCHETOPA PASS TEST EXCAVATION SITE
TWENTY-ONE PARTICIPATE IN ROCK ART STUDIES PAAC CLASS
COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION WEEK
EVENT SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1999
This is a reminder that the Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Week lecture by Dennis Slifer of Sante Fe, the author of "Signs of Life; Rock Art of the Upper Rio Grande" will be held at the Rio Grande County Museum & Cultural Center in Del Norte on Saturday, May 8,1999 at 7:30 PM. The headline in the past issue of the Archaeo Update incorrectly stated the date as May 18th. The event will feature Mr. Slifer who is researching possible migration routes & contacts between people along the Rio Grande corridor by comparing rock art styles from the San Luis Valley south to El Paso, Texas. The presentation will include slides of rock art & information pertaining to the research effort. Plan to attend this Colorado archaeology and Historic Preservation Week event and support archaeological and historical preservation.
STATUS OF SUMMER 1999 TEST EXCAVATIONS
NEAR COCHETOPA PASS
A total of seven SLV Archaeological Network volunteers have signed up for the June 10, 11, and 12 Cochetopa Pass Stone Structure Recording and Test Excavation Project. The site to be investigated is located about 25 miles west of Saguache at the base of Cochetopa Pass. The project is sponsored by the Rio Grande National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management San Luis Resource Area, and the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network.
Although we cannot accept any more volunteers due to the small size of the site we would like to invite people to come and visit on the afternoon of Friday, June 1 1 and anytime during the day on Saturday, June 12. If you are interested in visiting and seeing what has been accomplished please call Vince Spero at 852-6242 (work) or 873-5916 (home) for directions and other information.
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
FIELD TRIP TO INCLUDE STOP AT
COCHETOPA PASS TEST EXCAVATION SITE
The
Nature Conservancy will conduct a field trip as a part of the Cochetopa
Pass Heritage Corridor Project on Saturday, June 12. Goals are to identify
and record significant prehistoric and historic cultural sites from the
Town of Saguache to the Cochetopa Canyon. The project has already been
awarded a Rural Economic Development Grant from the Forest Service and
a State Historical Fund Grant application has also been submitted.
Field trip stops will include the above mentioned site of the Cochetopa
Pass stone structure recording and test excavation project as well as
other cultural sites from Saguache to the canyon of the Cochetopa, Other
stops along the way include the John Lawrence house. Lawrence came to
the San Luis Valley in 1867 where he engaged in the sheep business. Other
sites to be visited are the "Old Farm" on Saguache Creek and
the site of the Hoagland stage station.
A historic "dipping vat" site (sure to be the highlight of the
day !), the Rio Grande National Forest Upper Saguache Guard Station, the
Benny Creek Stage Station on Old Cochetopa Pass, the site where a wickiup
was found on Luders Creek, and a stop to talk about the Old Agency which
was occupied by 2,500 Utes from 1872 until 1875 will round out the tour.
Please plan to meet at 8:30 AM on Saturday, June 12 at the Mountain Valley
High School parking lot in Saguache (turn east on Pitkin Avenue and drive
3 blocks) where we will carpool. Be sure to bring a hat, suitable footwear,
sunscreen and lunch. We hope you can make this informative trip to learn
more about the cultural history of the Saguache area. For more information
please call Nancy Warner at 719-655-2772.
TWENTY-ONE PARTICIPATE IN
ROCK ART STUDIES PAAC CLASS
Twenty-one
people, most of whom are San Luis Valley Archaeological Network members,
attended the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification Rock
Art Studies class in Alamosa on April 9, 10, and 11. The class was taught
by Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist of Colorado, who presented
information about a wide variety of topics beginning with the history
of rock art studies in Colorado. Among the earliest was Garrick Mallery's
work in 1886 which included documentation at the Rock Creek petroglyph
site near Monte Vista.
Another topic discussed were the different techniques of rock art production.
Pecking, or chipping away a rock surface with a sharp, hard object,
includes both solid pecking, where the marks produced are not separated
by space, and stipple pecking where the peck marks are more scattered.
Incising results in a cut groove of considerable depth. Tools that may
have been used to produce rock art include elongated stone tools with
utilized points, hammer stones, teeth, antler, or wood depending on
the hardness of the rock surface.
Rock art painters used pigments of hematite (red), manganese, (black),
calcium or gypsum (white), or limonite (yellow) to create pictographs.
Pigment may have been applied to rock surfaces by using brushes of yucca
or hair, by using the pigment as a mineral chalk, by stenciling, or
by stamping designs. Binders were mixed with the paint to aid in application
and to make them more enduring. Binders used were saliva, sometimes
after chewing seeds which are oil-based, plant extracts, yucca juice,
pinon gum, or egg whites.
We also learned about the various methods of dating rock art available,
both relative and direct, AMS radiocarbon dating, able to establish
a date from 150 to 150,000 years before present, actually involves counting
individual carbon atoms, This method is used on organic pigments and
binders or on microbial residue in desert varnish, which is a mineral
deposit which can form on a petroglyph figure over time.
The
chronological rock art sequence of Colorado probably begins with rock
art produced during the Archaic Period from 8,000 to 1,500 years before
present. Archaic rock art is generally abstract and is widespread through
the west. A specific type, termed Great Basin Abstract or Abstract Tradition
rock art, has been dated to be at least 4,700 years before present in
Colorado. Animal, human, or plant figures are rarely present and most
figures are pecked and, rarely, incised abstract designs. One style
that is probably present in the San Luis Valley area is the Uncompahgre
Style of rock art dated from 3,000 to 1,000 years before present. The
rock art of this style is usually pecked. Animals with exaggerated antlers,
large handed human figures, and animal tracks including bear, bird,
and ungulates such as deer and elk are found."Power-lines",
or meandering lines sometimes connecting the heads of human figures
to animal figures, are sometimes seen, Another rock art style that may
be found in the SLV include those related to the Basketmaker II to the
Pueblo I period from 500 to 900 AD where attached human-like figures
are found.
We sincerely thank Kevin Black for teaching the Rock Art Studies class
and for the Office of the State Archaeologist of Colorado for sponsoring
the PAAC Program.
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