Early Archaeologist E.B. Renaud

By Vince Spero

In the summers of 1942 and 1944 E.B. Renaud, of Denver University, inventoried areas of the San Luis Valley from the vicinity of Dry Lakes, to the north, and along the Rio Grande into New Mexico, to the south. After recording numerous sites he defined the "Upper Rio Grande Culture", characterized by extensive use of black or dark lithic material (mostly basalt, obsidian, and darker colored cherts), unifacial side scrapers, ovate bifaces, bifacial choppers, drills, gravers, pounders, and oval manos.

Renaud proposed that a new projectile point type, the "Rio Grande Point" was representative of the Upper Rio Grande area. Rio Grande points are large, broad, and stemmed. They have ground lower edges, a concave base, and often spoon shaped tip, and crude flaking creating uneven thickness.

Renaud described the lifeways of the Upper Rio Grande culture as one of hunters, who lived in both open camps and rock shelters. Sites are also found in quarry locations where basalt can be found, especially near San Antone Mountain, a main source of tool quality basalt.