CHIMNEY ROCK ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA TOUR, SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 24

A trip to Chimney Rock Archaeological Area, located to the west of the town of Pagosa Springs, is planned for Saturday, August 24. The group tour of archaeological sites, approximately 3 hours in length, will include visits to sites not normally seen. As an outlier of Chacoan culture Chimney Rock is the most isolated and remote of the Ancestral Pueblo communities connected to Chaco Canyon and its' core-and-veneer masonry reflects the same architecture found there, The high mesa community contains 16 excavated sites, among them the Chacoan structures of the great house, the guardhouse, and the great kiva. Recent studies suggest that Chimney Rock Pueblo was built solely for reasons of religion and astronomy. Join us for a visit to this fascinating site.

We will meet at the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area entrance at 10:45 AM on Saturday, August 24. Cost will be $7.50 per person for the tour. Directions to the meeting place: Drive through Pagosa Springs on US Highway 160 about 15 miles west to Colorado Highway 151. Turn left onto Colorado Highway 151 and drive south for about 3 miles to the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area gate on the right. The tour will involve walking a fair distance on interpretive footpaths. Be sure to bring water and other necessities.

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COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY (CAS) ANNUAL MEETING
TO BE HELD IN GUNNISON, SEPTEMBER 27 to 29, 2002

The C.T. Hurst Chapter will host the CAS 2002 Annual Meeting, September 27-29 in Gunnison. This event, featuring presentations on current archaeological research in Colorado, always results in a both a worthwhile and fun time. Visiting with the variety of people with a passion for archaeology is always a highlight. Events will be held at the Gunnison Multipurpose Building on the County Fair Grounds. Research paper and poster sessions; covering various topics in Colorado and Four Corners archaeology, will occur on Saturday, September 28th. Field trips are usually held on Sunday morning allowing for travel home in the afternoon. Mark Stiger, Western State College archaeologist, is planning a trip to the Mountaineer Paleoindian and Early Archaic site on top of "W Mountain", weather and dry road permitting. Other trip possibilities include the Tenderfoot site, SGN 1 stone quarry site, or perhaps some prehistoric game drive features presently heron researched by Bob Foxworth.
This year's banquet speaker will be Dr. Bruce Bradley of Cortez. Bruce will give an illustrated talk of the results of research at an Early Pueblo 11 site, Stix and Leaves Pueblo, near Cortez. Research has been sponsored by the site owners, making a significant contribution to the archaeology of the area. Excavations and laboratory work have been accomplished with a paid crew and a significant cadre of CAS volunteers.

A large roomblock of 37 rooms and 4 kivas, 2 pithouses, 6 courtyards, a milling room, a sweathouse, and some midden areas have been excavated at the Stix and Leaves Pueblo. Architecture and tree-ring dates indicate construction episodes in the late 800s (Late Pueblo I), AD 947-953 and AD 970-974 (Early Pueblo II), and AD 1054 (Middle Pueblo II). Tenth century occupation of southwestern Colorado has been poorly investigated until now. Stix and Leaves Pueblo has yielded unexpected architecture, a large sample of animal bones, unique artifacts, and a site that was the focus of arrowhead manufacture in all time periods. The site is not only a source of significant new archaeological information but also lends itself to the telling of human stories, both modem and ancient. In order to economize and provide up-to-date information CAS has instituted an online newsletter. You may go to the following website
http://www.coloradoarchaeology.org/Newsletter/Newsletter1.pdf to for all the latest news about the CAS annual Meeting or call Vince Spero, 719-852-6242 (work) or 873-5916 (home) for more information toward the beginning of September when the agenda will be finalized.

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EXCAVATION AT SITE 5SH73, NEAR SAGUACHE, CANCELED

We are sorry to announce that the planned excavation for this fall has been canceled due to changed work priorities relating to the Million Fire, and other projects, and due to personal priorities that need to be attended to this fall. This winter we will be finishing the reports for past excavations at site 5SH73 near Saguache and for the two excavations at the Torrez Trading Post. Watch for details to help with these reports.

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