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Black Mountain Folsom Site

The Black Mountain Folsom site (5HN55), located at an elevation of 10,160 ft. above sea level, was occupied by people of the Folsom culture, skilled hunters of a now extinct form of bison. They are among the earliest cultures to inhabit North America, dating from about 10,900 to 10,200 BP (years before the present).

Tent covering excavation units

While performing a cultural resource inventory of the area prior to a timber sale, Forest Service archaeologists Vince Spero and Marilyn Martorano discovered the site. A "preform" fragment was found (see illustrations below), along with a light scatter of nondiagonistic flakes of obsidian and local cherts.

Initial testing of the site was undertaken by the Rio Grande National Forest Service and the Smithsonian Institution in 1991, followed by a small scale excavation in 1993. In 1997, on a budget of about $40,000 from the San Juan-Rio Grande National Forest and the Smithsonian Institution, Spero and friends, Pegi Jodry, field director of the Paleoindian/Paleoecology Program for the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and her husband, Dennis Stanford, curator of North American Archaeology for the Smithsonian, were able to launch a larger excavation.

The "preform" fragment that led
to excavations at Black Mountain

Immediately upon arrival, while establishing excavation grid lines, Smithsonian Institution Archaeologist Dr. Dennis Stanford found a Folsom point preform which had apparently just eroded from the ground due to heavy rains. The first subsurface artifact found was a completed Folsom point which had exhibited breakage consistent with impact. Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist and PAAC instructor who volunteered for seven days, found this point after finding an old, crushed tobacco can at the same level in the 1-meter unit. Needless to say, he and the whole crew were pleasantly surprised with the find (especially after the can incident!). Another surprise came when a crew member excavated a Folsom preform tip which refit the Stanford surface find. The tip was found 30 meters away and 30 cm deep in an excavation unit! Analysis of tool refits can prove important in analysis of the site.

The Stanford find with
the refit tip

Kevin Black's find

Other important artifacts were found which will add to the knowledge of this high-altitude paleoindian site. Portions of several other preforms were discovered, along with numerous flakes of stone resulting from the tool making process. Other artifacts included cores, completed Folsom point fragments, unifacial scrapers, flakes from the Folsom point fluting process (channel flakes), gravers, and a flake identified as possibly being the result of manufacturing an "ultra" a fine stone knife which may have been used for skinning bison or other large animals. A very important feature found was the remains of a Folsom campfire location. Analysis of this hearth and Carbon-14 dating of charcoal samples taken from it yielded a date of about 10,500 BP. Another important aspect of the site involved identification of the source of raw material for the tools found at the site as possibly being from a location to the north of Pagosa Springs (Mosca Creek). Material collected from the chert source matches up nicely with the variety of material found at the Black Mountain site.

Scraper

Graver

One of many small artifacts

Hearth feature at Black Mountain

Graver

Scraper

Approximately 30 square meters of the site were painstakingly excavated by the end of the excavation, which lasted 40 days. The Smithsonian Institution crew were joined by many volunteers including SLV Archaeological Network members Vicki Goodrow, Loretta Mitson, Marvin and Josh Goad, Bob and Judy Armagast, Virginia Simmons, Harry, Pat, and Elli Fluck, Yvonne Halburian, who painted an excellent watercolor of the site, and Julee and Carrol Fleming. Over 100 visitors who dropped by the site were given extensive tours and about 200 school children from Creede, Center, Del Norte, Alamosa, and a group of home-taught students were also led on tours of the site. Special thanks are extended to all who worked on the site and especially to project director Pegi Jodry, of the Smithsonian Institution's Paleoindian/Paleoecology Project, who led us through the endeavor.

More photos below

"Pegi" and crew

One of the few sunny
days at the site

Artist Yvonne Halburian
at the Black Mountain digs

Folsom Preform fluted on one face

Kids having fun at
Black Mountain

Education in the weatherport

Digging in the shelter of the tent

Artifact illustrations by Marvin Goad; courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution's Paleoindian/Paleoecology Program.
Photographs courtesy of U.S. Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest, Monte Vista Supervisor Office.

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