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CLASS IIICULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY
AND EVALUATIVE TESTING RESULTS FOR
ENERGY FUELS RESOURCES PINON MILL
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTMONTROSE COUNTY,COLORADO
Prepared for
Kleinfelder
8300 Jefferson NE, Suite BAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87113
Prepared by
ERO Resources Corporation
1075 Main Avenue, Suite 222
Durango, Colorado 81301
Written by
Angela WhitfieldSean Larmore
Kathy Croll
Sean Larmore
Principal Investigator
December 2007
For Official Use Only:
Disclosure of Site Locations Prohibited
(43 CFR 7.18)
ERO Project #3987
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ABSTRACT
ERO Resources Corporation (ERO) performed a Class III intensive cultural resource
inventory and evaluative testing for the Energy Fuels Resources Pinon Mill Development
project. The development consists of 880 acres located along State Highway 90 in
Paradox Valley, Montrose County, Colorado. The legal description is Township 46
North, Range 17 West, in the SW of Section 5, all of Section 8, and the N of the NW
; N of the NE ; and the SE of the NW of Section 17. The parcel is located on
the Bull Canyon and Davis Mesa USGS 7.5 topographic quadrangles.
The cultural resource inventory resulted in documentation of 20 new archaeological
sites and 14 isolated finds. The sites consisted of 16 prehistoric open artifact scatters, one
sheltered artifact scatter, and three historic habitation sites. Of the 20 sites documented,
four are recommended field eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) and 16 are recommended field not eligible. Isolated finds, by definition, are not
eligible for listing on the NRHP. Controlled collection took place at eight sites, and six
archaeological sites were trenched in order to evaluate their potential for subsurface
cultural deposits.
A determination of no historic properties affected, pursuant to 36 CFR 800.5 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), is recommended for the project area,
contingent upon the avoidance of all sites recommended field eligible and upon
concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) on all field not eligible
site recommendations. Field eligible cultural resources are 5MN8269, 5MN8270,
5MN8284, and 5MN8286. At this time, project development will not affect these sites.
ERO Project #3987
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CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1
Legal Description of the Project Area ................................................................................ 1
Cultural Overview............................................................................................................... 6
Previous Investigations ..................................................................................................... 11
Site Evaluation Criteria..................................................................................................... 12
Methods............................................................................................................................. 14
Inventory Results .............................................................................................................. 17
Site Descriptions ..........................................................................................................19
Isolated Finds...............................................................................................................38
Project Archaeological Assessment.................................................................................. 39
Management Recommendations....................................................................................... 40
References Cited ............................................................................................................... 42
FIGURESFigure 1. Project location....................................................................................................3
Figure 2. Project overview photos. .....................................................................................5
Figure 3. Site 5MN8269, Trench 3 west-facing profile....................................................22
TABLES
Table 1. Previous surveys within mile of the project area............................................12Table 2. Newly documented sites within the project area. ...............................................18
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Cultural Resource Tables and Maps
Appendix B: Isolated Finds Tables and Maps
Appendix C: Report Figures
Appendix D: OAHP Site and IF Forms
Appendix E: Evaluative Testing Photos
ip:\3900 projects\3987 energy fuels pinon mill\final print\final report.doc
ERO Project #3987
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CLASS IIICULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY
AND EVALUATIVE TESTING RESULTS FOR
ENERGY FUELS RESOURCES PINON MILL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
MONTROSE COUNTY,COLORADO
DECEMBER 2007
IntroductionOn behalf of Kleinfelder, ERO Resources Corporation (ERO) performed a Class III
intensive cultural resource inventory for Energy Fuels Resources Pinon Mill
Development project. The project consists of one contiguous parcel totaling 880 acres.
The parcel is located in Paradox Valley, along the northeastern edge of Davis Mesa and is
bisected by Highway 90 in Montrose County, Colorado (project area).
Energy Fuels Resources intends to build a new uranium mill in Paradox Valley. This
facility is proposed to include an evaporation pond area (80 acres), a tailings area (60
acres), and the mill. Development is to occur primarily in the open sagebrush area of
Paradox Valley. Fill may be obtained from the alluvial fans below Davis Mesa.
Regulatory review will be provided by the State of Colorado per a 1968 agreement with
the Atomic Energy Commission (amended 1982) on behalf of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
Preliminary design would impact nine archaeological sites (5MN8271, 5MN8272,
5MN8273, 5MN8274, 5MN8276, 5MN8277, 5MN8278, 5MN8281, and 5MN8283). All
of these sites are located in planned disturbance areas. An additional four sites
(5MN8275, 5MN8279, 5MN8280, and 5MN8282) may be impacted in the future
depending on project development. Four of the nine sites located in planned disturbance
areas were trenched to evaluate their potential for subsurface cultural deposits; all were
negative. One additional site (5MN8276) was collected to exhaust its data potential.
Baseline documentation exhausted the research potential of the remaining sites located in
planned disturbance areas.
Legal Description of the Project AreaThe project area is located within Paradox Valley, Montrose County, Colorado,
bisected by Highway 90 and west of Naturita, Colorado. The legal description is
ERO Project #3987 1
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Township 46 North, Range 17 West, in the SW of Section 5, all of Section 8, and the N
of the NW ; N of the NE ; and the SE of the NW of Section 17, New
Mexico Prime Meridian. The project is located on the Bull Canyon and Davis Mesa
USGS 7.5 topographic quadrangles.
Affected Environment
The project area is on the Colorado Plateau in western Colorado and is southwest of
the Uncompahgre Plateau. Elevation within the project area ranges from 5,440 to 5,940
feet above sea level (asl). More specifically, most of the project area is located on the
floor and along the southern edge of Paradox Valley between Sawtooth Ridge to the
north and Davis Mesa to the south (Figure 1). The Dolores River crosses Paradox Valley
approximately 7.5 miles west-northwest of the project area. East Paradox Creek, a
tributary of the Dolores River, flows along the northern edge of Paradox Valley, with
ephemeral drainages extending south into the project area.
The climate of this region is primarily semi-desert with precipitation increasing with
elevation and temperature decreasing with elevation. Precipitation is typically highest in
the winter months and lowest in June. Average temperatures range from an average low
of 30F in January to a high of 80F in July (Reed and Metcalf 1999).
Vegetation communities in this region consist of semi-desert shrublands and pinyon-
juniper woodlands. The dominant community over most of the project area is semi-
desert shrublands, which is found at lower elevations (typically below 6,000 to 7,000 feet
asl) across the Colorado Plateau. Plant species in this community include greasewood,
four-winged saltbush, blackbrush, shadscale, and big sagebrush. Animals associated with
shrubland communities include coyotes, desert cottontail and black-tailed jackrabbits,
badgers, prairie dogs, mule deer, and pronghorn (Mutel and Emerick 1992; Paulson and
Baker 2006).
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500 0 500250 Meters
Pinon Mill Cultural Resources Survey Report
Montrose County, Colorado
Prepared for: Kleinfelder
File: 3987fig1.pdfNovember 2007
T46N; R17W; Sections 5, 8 and 17
New Mexico Prime Meridian
USGS Bull Canyon and Davis Mesa, Colorado 7.5' Quadrangles
Figure 1.Project Location
1:24,000
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Pinyon-juniper woodlands are found at elevations from 4,000 to 9,000 feet asl.
Dominant species within this community are pinyon pine, juniper, sagebrush, mountain
mahogany, and rabbitbrush. Animal species that depend on this habitat include mule
deer, elk, mountain lions, bobcats, ringtails, coyotes, badgers, and long-tailed weasels
(Mutel and Emerick 1992).
Geologically, the project area is covered by pervasive eolian deposits. The edges of
Paradox Valley are underlain by Hermosa formation Arkosic sandstone, conglomerate,
shale, and limestone. The steep walls of Paradox Valley are comprised of Cretaceous
(Dakota sandstone) and Jurassic formations, including (from top to bottom) the Morrison,
Summerville, Entrada, Kayenta, and Wingate formations (see Figure 2). The upper
Dakota and Morrison formations are known to produce flaked lithic raw material,
including fine-grained orthoquartzite and variegated chert nodules (Black 2000).
Sediment deposition is moderately deep in the floor of Paradox Valley due to
Quaternary-age eolian deposits that include dune sand, silt, and Peoria loess (Tweto
1979). Paradox Valley is a collapsed salt anticline, formed by the extremely slow
movement of salt and gypsum originating from Pennsylvanian age rocks pushing against
overlying rock layers. Paradox Valley is one of three such anticlines in southwest
Colorado, each one being a long fold with a northwest-southeast trend determined by the
position of faults in Precambrian rock (Chronic 1986).
Geotechnical coring and evaluative trenching indicates that Paradox Valleys eolian
deposits have repeatedly experienced episodes of aggradation and degradation. Deflation
of the eolian deposits has effectively truncated the Holocene sediments into less than 50
cmof deposits that appear to date prior to 5,000 years before present (B.P.). Underlying
the early to middle Holocene deposits is a saturated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) soil
horizon of Pleistocene age. Evaluative trenching was terminated at this horizon at depths
of about 50 to 60 centimeters below ground surface (cm bgs).
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Figure 2. Project overview photos.
Project area overview of the Paradox Valley floor.
Project area overview to the north from near the southern
project boundary.
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Cultural OverviewThe temporal framework for the northern Colorado River Basin is divided into five
major prehistoric and historic stages: Paleoindian (13400 B.P. to 7500 B.P.), Archaic (ca.
7500 B.P. to 2000 B.P.), Formative (2400 B.P. to 700 B.P.), Protohistoric (700 B.P. to
200 B.P.), and Historic (200 B.P. to 50 B.P.). All ages are presented as radiocarbon years
before present (B.P.). The cultural context provided below is intended to provide the
reader with a basic overview of the culture history. The reader should refer to Colorado
Prehistory: A Context for the Northern Colorado River Basin (Reed and Metcalf 1999)
for a complete overview. The cultural overlap with southwest Colorado also warrants a
review ofColorado Prehistory: A Context for the Southern Colorado River Basin (Lipe
et al. 1999).
The Paleoindian period is primarily divided into four traditions distinguished by four
projectile point styles and, to a lesser degree, changes in mobility and subsistence
patterns. The four traditions are Clovis (13400 B.P. to 12500 B.P.), Goshen (13000 B.P.
to 12700 B.P.), Folsom (12800 B.P. to 11500 B.P.), and Foothill-Mountain (11500 B.P.
to 7500 B.P.). The styles include partially fluted lanceolate projectile points (Clovis) to
fully fluted, lanceolate projectile points (Folsom). Paleoindian hunter-gatherers were
highly mobile, leaving few cultural imprints on the landscape. Subsistence strategies
focused on big game, which included now extinct megafauna such as mammoth and
Bison antiquus. Evidence for Paleoindian use of the project area is limited (Pitblado
1998 - although a Late Paleoindian projectile point was recovered during the current
project inventory). Nearly all of the dated Paleoindian components in Colorado are found
in the northern Colorado River Basin near the headwaters of the Colorado River near
Middle Park and the Indian Peaks (Pitblado 1999). Buckles illustrates several
Paleoindian types from his work on the Uncompahgre Plateau including Plainview, CodyComplex, Meserve-Dalton, Western Stemmed, and Foothills-Mountain (Buckles 1971:
Figure 4). None of these points were recovered in Paleoindian contexts however. Early
surveys of the La Sal Mountains, clearly visible west of the project area, also produced
minimal evidence for Paleoindian occupation (Hunt 1953; Hunt and Tanner 1960). A
more recent survey also produced no evidence of occupation for this time period
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(Larmore et al. 2005). Based on the available data, Paleoindian period sites are not
expected in the project area.
The Archaic Stage (7500 B.P. to 2000 B.P.) is a temporally extensive period markedby broad spectrum hunting and gathering. Aside from a decreased emphasis on large
game and an increased emphasis toward gathering and processing vegetal food, as
evidenced by ground stone in the archaeological record, settlement strategies appear to
have remained similar to that of the late Paleoindian period when settling in to the local
landscape took place. Changes in lithic technology include a decrease in size and an
increase in the diversity of projectile point styles to large corner and side-notched types.
Sites such as Yarmony demonstrate the use of semisubterranean architecture (Metcalf
and Black 1991).
Reed and Metcalf (1999) divided the Archaic Stage into four periods: Pioneer (8350
B.P. to 6450 B.P.), Settled (6450 B.P. to 4450 B.P.), Transitional (4450 B.P. to 2950
B.P.), and Terminal (2950 B.P. to 1950 B.P.). The other prominent chronology was
developed by Buckles (1971) from work conducted under the auspices of the Ute
Prehistory project on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Although dated, Buckles work
demonstrated nearly continuous occupation of the plateau and indicates in situ cultural
development. Similarities with the Oshara tradition of northern New Mexico (Irwin-
Williams 1973) are also evident, but it has been clearly demonstrated that the northern
Colorado River Basin developed largely independent of this and other large-scale
chronologies, including those developed for the Northwest Plains (Frison 1991), the
western Great Plains of Colorado (Gilmore et al. 1999), and the northern Colorado
Plateau (Schroedl 1976). However, the similarity in projectile point styles over great
expanses, especially those of the Oshara tradition, indicates the extensive area Archaic
people traveled over a lifetime and across generations. Archaeologists have tended to
underestimate the lifetime range of hunter-gatherer bands (cf. Vierra 1994). In turn, this
perpetuates the number of projectile point types defined across the landscape.
Archaic period occupation of the project area is best evidenced through diagnostic
projectile point types. These types include large side-notched types such as Hawken
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(Frison 1991) and Pahaska (Husted and Edgar 2002) types of the Early Archaic; Rocker,
Sudden, and Mallory side-notched types of the Middle Archaic (Holmer 1986); and the
large corner-notched types that include the Elko series (Holmer 1986; Thomas 1981) of
the Great Basin and the En Medio type of the northern Southwest (Irwin-Williams 1973).
In Colorado, large corner-notched projectile points generally remain unnamed and are
simply referred to as Late Archaic. Basketmaker II (400 B.C. A.D. 400) projectile
points of the Southwest may be indistinguishable from what is referred to as Late Archaic
further north (Morris and Burgh 1954; Smiley 1995) and, without context, distinguishing
between these two cultural affiliations may be impossible (Charles and Cole 2003).
The Formative era (2400 B.P. to 700 B.P.) is a period when horticulture became a
major subsistence focus in western Colorado. The Fremont practiced horticulture in far
northwest Colorado and Utah. Evidence of Anasazi use extends north from southwest
Colorado, but was of limited intensity and is restricted to the area associated with the
Dolores River drainage. The Formative era saw the introduction of the bow and arrow
and distinctive ceramic traditions. Structures generally became more permanent and rock
art were major ideological elements. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle is still recognized in
the archaeological record for this period, and may represent a cultural tradition separate
from the Fremont and Anasazi (Reed and Metcalf 1999).
For western Colorado, four traditions have been defined: Fremont, Anasazi, Gateway,
and Aspen. In southwest Colorado, the Anasazi left an indelible footprint on the
landscape. The Fremont includes a number of variants, including the Uinta, San Rafael,
Great Salt Lake, Sevier, and Parowan. Others have reduced this number to three variants:
Fremont, Sevier, and Uinta Basin (Madsen 1979). Fremont occupation of northeast
Colorado occurs significantly in three areas: western Montrose County, Glade Park, and
the Douglas Creek/Dinosaur National Monument area (Reed and Metcalf 1999). These
areas are considerably north of the current project area. Upland use of areas such as the
Uncompahgre Plateau and the La Sal Mountains undoubtedly occurred and may be
recognized by projectile point styles such as Uinta side-notched (Holmer and Weder
1980) and Rosegate corner-notched (Thomas 1981), although these styles occur
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ubiquitously throughout the Formative period and the general morphological types were
widely adopted by other cultures. Fremont structures include free-standing masonry
roomblocks and semi-subterranean pithouses.
Evidence for the Anasazi tradition north of the Dolores River has been limited. As
noted by Reed and Metcalf (1999), the evidence is limited to projectile point styles
attributable to the Basketmaker II period, rock art that Cole (1990) attributes to the San
Juan and Uncompahgre complex, and several architectural sites in west-central Colorado.
The combined evidence, however, does not suggest a credible Anasazi occupation of the
valleys southwest of the Uncompahgre Plateau (Reed and Metcalf 1999). Recent work in
Paradox Valley attempted to shed light on the cultural affiliation of stone architectural
sites originally documented more than 70 years ago. A reconnaissance survey of nine
previously recorded sites and one newly recorded site, consisting of stone architectural
and rock art sites, did not conclusively determine the cultural affiliation of these sites
(McMahon and Bedingfield 2001). More recently, a reevaluation of the ceramics
recovered from Weimer Ranch was conducted (Gruebel et al. 2006) in an attempt to
resolve whether the site was affiliated with the Northern San Juan Anasazi, Fremont, or
Gateway tradition. Analysis confirmed that much of the ceramic assemblage was indeed
Northern San Juan Basin Anasazi from a typological perspective, but McMahon (2007)
argues in a recent paper that the absence of kivas and local production of ceramics with
Puebloan traits suggests that the ceramics were a product of cultural transmission from
the south and do not necessarily imply direct Anasazi affiliation. Masonry architecture in
Paradox Valley also does not conform to typical Anasazi form. It remains to be
determined whether sites with masonry architecture and Puebloan ceramics are directly
affiliated with the Anasazi or represent Fremont or Gateway manifestations.
The ambiguity of assigning archaeological sites to either Fremont or Anasazi
traditions (e.g., masonry, Anasazi pottery, occasional corn, and small corner-notched
projectile points on sites in northeastern Colorado and west-central Colorado) has not
been lost on investigators. In response, Reed (1997) developed the Gateway tradition
(2400 B.P. to 800 B.P.) as a separate cultural entity distinctive from either Fremont or
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Anasazi traditions. Still far from accepted, the Gateway tradition is characterized by
limited reliance on horticulture, small corner-notched projectile points such as the
Rosegate series, the acquisition of ceramics from both the Fremont and Anasazi and the
lack of ceramic production on their own, masonry structures and possible pithouses
occupied over relatively short duration, storage features, and rock art with both Anasazi
and Fremont influence. The definition of the Aspen tradition is far less robust, but was
developed in response to the many archaeological sites not assignable to any of the three
aforementioned traditions. Reed and Metcalf (1999) do not list any cultural traits specific
to the tradition other than to state that it is the taxonomic equivalent to the Gateway and
Fremont traditionsand as sort of parallel construct to the Uinta phase of the Wyoming
Basin, with a near identical time span of 2400 B.P. to 700 B.P. The use of projectile
points to assign cultural affiliation is tenuous at best.
The Protohistoric stage (700 B.P. to 200 B.P.) begins with the end of horticultural
subsistence practices of the Formative Era and ends with the expulsion of the various Ute
bands to reservations. The primary group to occupy the northern Colorado River Basin
was the Numic-speaking Ute. Before contact with the Spanish in the early 1600s, the Ute
were mobile hunters and gatherers who constructed wickiups for shelter, produced a
particular brown ware ceramic tradition (Uncompahgre brown-ware), and crafted small
side-notched (Desert) and un-notched triangular (Cottonwood) projectile points (Buckles
1971; Reed and Metcalf 1999).
Historic settlement of the western Colorado area occurred during the early 1800s with
the arrival of government survey expeditions. Fur trappers and traders penetrated the
area shortly after A.D. 1800. The Colorado Territory was established in 1861. With the
relocation of the Ute to reservations in 1881,EuroAmerican settlers built towns andestablished mineral mines and lumber mills. Land was cleared for crop cultivation, cattle
ranchers moved into the area, and railroads were eventually built to move goods in and
out of the region. Sheep and cattle ranching became the dominant industry in the early
1900s in west-central Colorado (Athearn 1976). Historic occupation of Paradox Valley
has been limited to homesteading, mining, and livestock grazing. The Uravan Mining
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Belt that includes Paradox Valley is rich in carnotite ore or yellowcake. Oil and gas
exploration began in 1948 and continues in the region to the present day (Paulson and
Baker 2006). Ranching operations and the revived uranium boom are currently the
dominant industries.
Previous InvestigationsA file and literature review was conducted with the Colorado Office of Archaeology
and Historic Preservation (OAHP), Denver. The file review indicates that three previous
cultural resource inventories have been conducted within a mile of the project area
(Table 1). No previously documented cultural resources occur within the current project
area.
The three previous inventories include a linear seismic survey, a block survey for a
uranium lease, and a cultural resource block and linear survey performed by Fort Lewis
College. A survey conducted by Lone Mountain Archaeological Services (Hurt and
Seymour 1999) in 1999 is the only project that resulted in the location of cultural
resources - two isolated finds - within mile of the current project area. The Lone
Mountain survey was performed for 3-D seismic lines on Sawtooth Ridge, and the
isolated finds include a projectile point tip (5MN5311) and a quartzite projectile point
midsection (5MN5324). The other two previous inventories include a 6,000-acre survey
by Fort Lewis College in 1975 in Montrose and San Miguel counties that resulted in the
location of 22 archaeological sites (Applegarth and Van Ness 1975), none within mile
of the current project area. A 370-acre survey by the Bureau of Land Management for a
uranium lease in 1980 resulted in the location of two sites and four isolated finds, none
within the current project area (Steel 1980).
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Table 1. Previous surveys within mile of the project area.
SHPO or BLM
Project
Number Project Name Acreage
Number of Sites
within Project
Area
MC.LM.R310
From Early Man to the Nuclear Age Class III
Cultural Resource Survey for the Sawtooth Ridge
3-D Seismic Survey, Montrose and San Miguel
Counties, Colorado (Hurt and Seymour 1999)
3,867 0
MC.NP.R44
Archaeological and Cultural Resource Survey of
the Paradox Valley Unit, Montrose and San Miguel
Counties, Colorado (Steel 1980)
6,000 0
MN.LM.R145
A Cultural Resource Survey of the Cotter
Corporation Uranium Lease Tract C-JD-7, Paradox
Valley Open Pit Project, Montrose County,
Colorado (Applegarth and Van Ness 1975)
370 0
Site Evaluation CriteriaSites investigated during this inventory were evaluated for their eligibility to be listed
in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). NRHP significance criteria are
codified under 36 CFR 60.4 and are specified below:
The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, and
culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity
of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
a) that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to thebroad patterns of our history; or
b) that are associated with the lives of persons significant in the past; or
c) that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction, or that represents the work of a master, or that possess high artistic
value, or that represent a significant or distinguishable entity whose componentsmay lack individual distinction; or
d) that have yielded, or are likely to yield, information important in prehistory orhistory.
Ordinarily, cemeteries, birthplaces, or graves of historical figures; property owned by
religious institutions or used for religious purposes; structures that have been removed
from their original location; reconstructed historic buildings; properties that are primarily
commemorative in nature; and properties that have achieved significance within the last
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50 years shall not be considered eligible for the NRHP. However, such properties will
qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria, or if they fall within
the following categories:
a) a religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artisticdistinction or historical importance; or
b) a building or structure removed from its original location but which is significant
primarily for its architecture, or which is the surviving structure most importantly
associated with a historic person or event; or
c) a birthplace or grave of an historical figure of outstanding importance if there isno other appropriate site or building directly associated with his or her productive
life; or
d) a cemetery that derives its primary significance from graves of persons of
transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or fromassociation with historic events; or
e) a reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and
presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan and when no
building or structure with the same association has survived; or
f) a property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, orsymbolic value has invested it with its own historical significance; or
g) a property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional
importance.
Cultural resources were evaluated based on the criteria listed above. In addition, the
research questions posed in the regional context (Reed and Metcalf 1999) were used as a
guide. The context provides more specific guidance for the application of NRHP criteria,
especially Criterion D. Eligible sites are those that display one or more of the criterion
for eligibility listed above. In addition, sites evaluated as eligible must retain physical
integrity. Eroded or otherwise heavily disturbed sites are not considered eligible. Sites
evaluated as needing data are those sites that may conform to the eligibility criteria, but
require further work to determine NRHP status. In most cases, these sites are prehistoric
or historic sites with suspected buried cultural material, or historic sites where additional
research is necessary to determine historical significance. Sites that are evaluated as not
eligible do not meet any of the eligibility criteria and/or have lost physical integrity.
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MethodsThe purpose of this cultural resource inventory is to comply with Section 106 of the
NHPA (1966, as amended) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800). A
pedestrian survey was conducted by walking transects spaced 15 to 20 meters apart.
Once artifacts were located, the survey was halted and a systematic inspection of the area
was conducted by pinflagging all observed artifacts and features. Artifact concentrations
were identified at the discretion of the crew chief based on artifact distribution. Two site
overviews and all features and diagnostic artifacts were digitally photographed. A site
datum, diagnostic artifacts, and site and artifact boundaries were documented using a
submeter Trimble GeoXT Explorer Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. No
permanent datum was established.
A cultural resource is defined as the locus of previous human activity at which the
preponderance of evidence suggests one-time diagnostically interpretable use, repeated
use over time, or multiple classes of activities. Professional judgment is used to
distinguish between purposeful activity and isolated occurrences of artifacts that are often
attributable to background noise. Isolated thermal features, rock art panels, and
isolated human burials are considered archaeological sites. Surface lithic scatters that
occur in a condensed area and comprise a single raw material may be attributable to asingle reduction episode that is not considered representative of purposeful activity or
patterned behavior sufficient to be documented as a site. However, due to the paucity of
documented sites in Paradox Valley, these types of activity loci were documented as
archaeological sites. Project localities with surface lithic raw material may produce a
preponderance of such occurrences; however, this is not the case in Paradox Valley
where the surface is blanketed with eolian deposits. There is no precise threshold of
lithic flakes required to advance an isolated occurrence of lithic reduction to that of an
archaeological site, but a standard of 10 to 15 pieces of debitage is often used as an
arbitrary threshold. An evaluation of raw material, flake density, and spatial distribution
is required to make an informed decision of isolated reduction episodes. Lithic scatters
with multiple raw materials and artifact classes are generally considered archaeological
sites. The presence of ground stone or features associated with flaked lithic material
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qualifies as a camp location. A ceramic scatter representative of a single vessel is also
considered an isolated find.
Historic sites are evaluated using the same criteria outlined above. Isolated historicartifacts are generally recorded as isolates unless associated with purposeful activity such
as habitation, ranching or agricultural, or mining complexes. Historic dumps are
evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A single artifact class such as sanitary cans is
recorded as an isolated occurrence; conversely, dumps that exhibit many artifact classes
and date prior to the 20th century are documented as archaeological sites. Linear features
such as water conveyance systems, transmission lines, and roads are documented as sites.
An isolated fence line is generally not recorded as a site unless it demarcates a boundary
significant to area history. An isolated mine adit with no associated artifacts or features
is also recorded as an isolate.
Prehistoric artifact descriptions use the following terminology in this report: Ground
stone descriptions follow Adams (2002); biface stages are defined according to width to
thickness ratios (Callahan 1979) (illustrations of this process are provided in Andrefsky
[1998]); flake terminology follows the triple cortex typology of primary, secondary,
and tertiary (Andrefsky 1998), which correspond to the amount of cortex present on the
artifact. A primary flakes exterior surface is covered in cortex over 50% of its surface;
secondary flakes have less than 50% cortex; and tertiary flakes do not exhibit any cortex.
Although the flaws in this method of flake typology are inherent (Andrefsky 1998), it
characterizes a sites surface flake assemblage in an efficient manner while providing
useful data.
Projectile point analysis follows procedures adopted by Larmore (2002), which relies
on metric attributes of the haft element and morphological attributes that emphasize
existing conditions and cross sections. Typological assessment is dependent upon project
location, but general typologies consulted include: Buckles (1986), Frison (1991),
Holmer (1978, 1986), Irwin-Williams (1973), Pitblado (1999), Smiley (1995), and
Thomas (1981). Most typologies in the region borrow heavily from these sources. Grey
literature sources are consulted when significant previous investigations have occurred in
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the area. Ceramic types for west-central Colorado may be found in the edited volume,
Archaeological Pottery of Colorado (Brunswig et al. 1995); also applicable is Ellwood
(2002) and Buckles (1971).
Facility construction has the potential to adversely affect nine archaeological sites
documented in the project area (5MN8272, 5MN8271, 5MN8273, 5MN8274, 5MN8277,
5MN8276, 5MN8281, 5MN8283, and 5MN8278), with the possibility of an additional
four archaeological sites being affected if development extends outside of current
development areas (5MN8275, 5MN8280, 5MN8279, and 5MN8282). A sample of these
13 sites was chosen for controlled artifact collection and subsurface testing. Controlled
artifact collection, or Phase II, was conducted by revisiting these sites and re-pinflagging
all surface artifacts. All observed artifacts were located using GPS; unmodified flakes
were coded by raw material and whether they were located in an artifact concentration or
from a general site provenience. Stone tools (e.g., retouched flakes, bifaces, and hafted
bifaces), ceramic sherds, and ground stone were assigned individual field specimen (FS)
numbers and collected individually. Only a sample of the ground stone was collected due
to curation issues, but those not collected were photographed and analyzed in the field.
Following controlled surface collection, a backhoe was used to excavate a trench
measuring 2 feet wide by about 8 feet long. Excavation was halted at the contact with the
calcium carbonate (CaCO3) layer evident at about 50 to 60 cm bgs. At this point, the age
of the sediment dates to the Pleistocene and, therefore, is outside the range of human
occupation. One profile wall from each trench was photographed and described. No soil
samples were taken. Six archaeological sites were trenched, providing an accurate
representation of the subsurface deposits in the project area and across multiple
landforms. The data from these trenches and information provided by the project
geologist (Schlenker, pers. comm. 2007) were used to evaluate the potential forsubsurface cultural deposits in the remaining sites.
All collected artifacts were analyzed. Flake debitage analysis followed the flake
typology provided by Sullivan and Rozen (1985), which is often referred to as the free
standing typology that uses interpretation-free definitions of complete, broken, flake
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fragment, and shatter debitage. Next, the flakes were categorized according to size
grades using a method developed by Ahler (1989), although modified in this instance.
Flakes were simply placed on a sheet of paper that has circles corresponding to sizes up
to: inch (Grade 1), to inch (Grade 2), to inch (Grade 3), and 1 to inch
(Grade 4), or greater (Grade 5). Flakes were also analyzed for platform type, amount of
dorsal cortex, termination type, and raw material identification. Stone tools were
measured for length, width, and thickness; a width/thickness ratio was calculated for
bifaces; and raw material and cross section was identified. Projectile points were subject
to detailed analysis and included the following metric attributes: maximum length, width,
and thickness (measured at haft/blade juncture); base width; neck width; haft length
(measured from shoulders to base); and notch depth (averaged for two side notches).
Recorded morphological attributes include notch type (side and/or basal), overall
condition, general flaking pattern, base shape, cross section, tip morphology, and
presence/absence of reworking and thermal alteration. The guiding premise behind the
recorded metric attributes follows Thomas (1981) assertion that the haft is the least
subject to reworking or modification and, therefore, is the most amenable to typological
classification.
Since only a single ceramic sherd was documented in the project area, no detailed
analysis was conducted. A minimal metric analysis of ground stone took place, including
maximum length, width, and thickness. A descriptive analysis included surface type
(e.g., flat or trough), number of ground surfaces (e.g., unifacial or bifacial and/or edges),
and the presence/absence of beveling and modification (e.g., pecking and thermal
alteration) (Adams 2002). All of the manos in the project assemblage were likely used
one-handed.
All laboratory analysis documentation is on file with ERO Resources Corporation.
Inventory ResultsDuring the inventory of the Energy Fuels Pinon Mill Development project, 20 new
sites were documented (see Table 2).
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Table 2. Newly documented sites within the project area.
Smithsonian
Number
Temporary
Site Number Site Type Temporal Period
NRHP
Eligibility Status
5MN8269 PM01 Open Camp Early Archaic to
Late Prehistoric
Field
Eligible
Collected/Trenched
5MN8270 PM02 Sheltered Camp Late Formative FieldEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8271 PM03 Open LithicScatter
Late Archaic/EarlyFormative to Late
Formative
Field NotEligible
Partially Collected
5MN8272 PM04 Open Lithic
Scatter
Late Archaic or
Early Formative
Field Not
Eligible
Baseline
Documentation
5MN8273 PM05 Open LithicScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
Collected/Trenched
5MN8274 PM06 Open Camp Early to LateArchaic/Protohistoric Ute
Field NotEligible
Collected/Trenched
5MN8275 PM07 Historic
HabitationEuroAmerican Field Not
Eligible
Baseline
Documentation
5MN8276 PM08 Open ArtifactScatter
Late Paleoindian Jimmy Allen
Field NotEligible
Collected
5MN8277 PM09 Open LithicScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
Collected/Trenched
5MN8278 PM10 Historic
HabitationEuroAmerican Field Not
Eligible
Baseline
Documentation
5MN8279 PM11 Open Artifact
Scatter
Middle Archaic
Humboldt
Field Not
EligibleCollected/Trenched
5MN8280 PM12 Open LithicScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8281 PM13 Open LithicScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8282 PM14 Open Lithic
Scatter
Unknown
Prehistoric
Field Not
Eligible
Baseline
Documentation
5MN8283 PM15 Open Camp Basketmaker II Field NotEligible
Collected/Scraped
5MN8284 PM16 Open LithicScatter
Late Archaic orTerminal Elko
Series
FieldEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8285 PM17 Open LithicScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8286 PM18 Open Artifact
Scatter
Unknown
Prehistoric
Field
Eligible
Baseline
Documentation
5MN8287 PM19 HistoricHabitation
EuroAmerican Field NotEligible
BaselineDocumentation
5MN8288 PM20 Open ArtifactScatter
UnknownPrehistoric
Field NotEligible
BaselineDocumentation
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SITE DESCRIPTIONS
Site Number: 5MN8269
Site Type: Open Camp
Site Description: The site is located on the
Two vegetation communities, open pinyon-juniper woodlands and sagebrush,
provide an ecotone environment within the site boundary. The site is a dispersed flaked
lithic and tool stone scatter located Surface
artifacts become increasingly dispersed from east to west. Site 5MN8270 is located
and artifacts located on the slope have an uncertain
provenience.
This site was subject to controlled collection and evaluative subsurface testing. All
surface artifacts were 100% collected. The surface flaked debitage assemblage was
divided into two proveniences a non-concentrated general provenience and Locus 1. A
total of 28 flakes were analyzed as part of Locus 1, located along the southeast portion of
the site The locus was
dominated by gray Dakota orthoquartzite (n=17) of which 11 are flake fragments, three
are complete, and three are broken flakes. Size grades of these flakes are generally large,
all exceeding size grade 3 and seven exceeding size grade 4. Six of these flakes exhibit
cortex. The analysis indicates that Locus 1 was used primarily for secondary, hard
hammer percussion, core reduction, and may have been a single reduction episode. The
remaining flaked lithic debitage from Locus 1 are variegated chert, chalcedony, and
quartzite flakes whose morphology indicates secondary core reduction. The rest of the
site contained 43 flakes, again dominated by gray Dakota orthoquartzite (n=30) with
significantly less quartzite, fossiliferous chert and other variegated chert. Flake
morphology is dominated by complete and broken flakes (n=31), and platforms that are
both single and multi-faceted; size grades tend to be large. Overall, flake morphology
indicates a mix of hard and soft hammer percussion and middle to late stage reduction.
Tools collected include nine retouched flakes, 12 bifaces, one uniface, and one core
fragment; and three collected projectile points. The retouched flakes include six
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unilateral side scrapers, one thumbnail scraper (FS 1), one steeply retouched endscraper
(FS 11), and one ovoid scraper of chalcedony that is fully retouched along its margins
(FS 14). The bifaces represent Stages 2-5 and include small tool fragments (FS 7, FS 18,
and FS 36), one probable projectile point midsection (FS 42), a Stage 4 preform of
yellow chert (FS 30), and early stage bifaces (FS 5, FS 8, FS 31, and FS 34). During the
collection phase, eight tools observed and recorded during the survey phase were not
relocated. These include five bifaces (FS 2, FS 3, FS 15, FS 16, and FS 23), one
retouched flake (FS 17), and one mano fragment (FS 20). See Appendix C-2, Figures 1-
13 for selected non-diagnostic artifacts.
The projectile points include a large low side-notched point (FS 10; Appendix C-1,
Figure 1) manufactured from orthoquartzite that is typological similar to Hawken dating
to the Early Archaic (Frison 1991), a large side-notched point (FS 19; Appendix C-1,
Figure 2) manufactured from Dakota orthoquartzite that is typologically similar to either
Northern Side-Notched or Mallory/San Rafael (Holmer 1986) and likely dates to the
Middle Archaic, and a non-diagnostic Late Prehistoric tip also manufactured from Dakota
orthoquartzite (FS 21; Appendix C-2, Figure 5). Both FS 19 and FS 21 were located
within Locus 1, and FS 10 was located a short distance to the north. A fourth projectile
point (FS 15; Appendix C-1, Figures 3 and 4) was unable to be relocated during thesystematic collection phase; it was drawn during initial recording and is typologically
similar to Sudden Side-Notched (Holmer 1986), which spans the Early and Middle
Archaic.
Eight ground stone specimens were recorded and three were collected (FS 9, FS 12,
and FS 29); the rest were too large. Of the ground stone, five specimens are metate
fragments and three are manos. FS 12 is a unifacially ground sandstone metate fragment;
FS 9 is a bifacially beveled, one-handed light tan sandstone mano that is split in half
(Appendix C-2, Figure 2); and FS 29 is a flat porphyritichornblendediorite cobble that
has probably been unifacially used as a polishing stone. It would not have functioned
effectively as a grinding stone and is from a laccolithic intrusion such as the La Sal
Mountains to the west.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyritichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornblendehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioritehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioritehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornblendehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyritic7/31/2019 Pinon Ridge Mill - Redacted Cultural Resources Report Project Area
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One feature (F 1) was observed, an ephemeral rock concentration of eight small
tabular sandstone rocks, in a somewhat circular configuration (several pieces are ground
stone fragments) measuring about 1.25 meters in diameter. Projectile point types suggest
occupation from the Early Archaic through Late Prehistoric periods with a probable Late
Archaic hiatus. The site appears to have been used as a temporary camp where stone tool
production and retooling took place, and has potential to provide information on
prehistoric settlement patterns, lithic technology (a probable single reduction episode
within Locus 1), and possible subsistence data and chronological control from F 1.
Five backhoe trenches were excavated (Figure 3).
Each trench excavation exhibited a similar sediment profile. From the surface to about 8
cm bgs is an A horizon (accumulation of organic matter mixed with mineral fraction)
with small rootlets and slightly organic, and from 8 cm bgs to about 60 cm bgs is a
homogenous Bk horizon (CaC03 enriched with illuviated clay) with increasing CaCO3 to
depth. No formal soil analysis was performed. However, no soil staining or charcoal
was noted except in the O horizon (near-surface organic) near the surface, and no buried
cultural material was observed either in the wall profiles or in the backdirt.
Management Recommendation: Avoid and protect. This site is recommended field
eligible. The diversity of artifacts, the presence of diagnostic projectile points, and apossible feature indicate repeated short-term habitation of the site. F 1 has the potential
to yield additional information on subsistence and chronology. Although 100% of the
surface assemblage was collected further laboratory
analysis has the potential to provide additional information on lithic reduction strategies,
tool manufacture, and site patterning. For management purposes, the eastern portion of
the site, containing F 1, is the contributing portion of the site; the western portion of the
site is considered non-contributing to the sites eligibility based on the excavation of four
backhoe trenches in this area.
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Figure 3. Site 5MN8269, Trench 3 west-facing profile.
Trowel rests on CaCO3 horizon. This is a representative profile of all trenchesexcavated in the project area.
Site Number: 5MN8270
Site Type: Sheltered Camp
Site Description: The site is located
Pinyon-juniper woodlands dominate the vegetation and the soils are
reddish brown sandy loess.
This site was not collected.
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The largest concentration of artifacts is located east and north
There is potential for shallowly buried deposits
Artifacts consist of 100 to 250 flakes of primarily Dakota
orthoquartzite, but black, white, and banded chert, and basalt were also observed.
Eighteen tools were recorded and described including one uniface of orthoquartzite (FS
1), five bifaces or biface fragments of chert and orthoquartzite (FS 2, FS 6, FS 13, FS 15,
and FS 16), four mano fragments (FS 3, FS 8, FS 9, FS 11), two core fragments of
orthoquartzite (FS 4 and FS 10), two retouched flakes (FS 5 and FS 17), one
orthoquartzite drill tip (FS 7), one tested cobble (FS 12), and one utilized orthoquartzite
flake (FS 14). The pinnacle and associated stained area is designated F 1.
FS 18 is a possible Cottonwood Triangular projectile point, but it also may be a Stage
4 preform (Appendix C-1, Figure 6). No other diagnostic artifacts were located. The site
appears to have been a temporary camp for resource processing and stone tool
manufacture. Given its proximity to site 5MN8269, they may be related temporally.Management Recommendation: Avoid and protect. The site is evaluated as field
eligible based on sufficient sediment deposition to contain buried cultural material and
the potential for F 1 to produce shallowly buried artifacts or related features. As of thiswriting, there are no development plans that may impact this site; subsequently the site
was not collected or tested.Site Number: 5MN8271
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is an open lithic scatter located
Vegetation consists primarily of sagebrush and
rabbitbrush and soils are reddish tan silty loess.
Artifacts were not dense on the site and consisted of approximately 32 primary and
secondary flakes of chert and Dakota orthoquartzite. Five tools were present including a
Stage 4 biface fragment of Dakota orthoquartzite (FS 1), a retouched flake of red
quartzite (FS 2), a chert retouched flake (FS 3), a chert corner-notched projectile point
(FS 4; Appendix C-1, Figure 7), a Stage 4 biface of Dakota orthoquartzite (FS 5), and a
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small side-notched projectile point (FS 6; Appendix C-1, Figure 8). No features were
noted.
The large corner-notched projectile point suggests a Late Archaic (2500 to 2000 B.P.)
temporal period typologically similar to what Buckles designated the Horse Fly phase
(Buckles 1986) and which corresponds to the Terminal period of the Northern Colorado
River Basin (Reed and Metcalf 1999). The small side-notched projectile point is a Plains
Side-Notch dating to the late Formative period (post-A.D. 1000). This site was used for
activities related to lithic reduction and tool manufacture.Management Recommendation: No further work. The limited surface assemblage
and results of trench excavations at nearby sites posits a recommendation of field not
eligible. The site exhibits a limited quantity and diversity of artifacts. Subsurface testing
at sites located on the same landform to the south indicates that buried cultural deposits
are highly unlikely. Documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8272
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is an open lithic scatter located
Vegetation is big sagebrush Soils arereddish tan silty loess.
A total of 47 secondary flakes (43 are Dakota orthoquartzite and four are chert) were
observed. One large to medium corner-notched projectile point (FS 1; Appendix C-1,
Figure 11) manufactured from Dakota orthoquartzite was also present, suggesting a Late
Archaic (Terminal) to Early Formative occupation. The site appears to have been a
single lithic reduction episode and retooling location given the near exclusive use of
Dakota orthoquartzite and discarded projectile point. The absence of other
tools/activities supports this inference.
Management Recommendation: No further work. Based on the available
evidence, this site is recommended field not eligible. The artifact assemblage indicates a
single synchronic occupation. Subsurface testing at adjacent sites along the same
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landform indicates that buried cultural deposits are unlikely. Documentation has
exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8273
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is an open lithic and ground stone scatter located
Surface sediment is reddish tan silty loess.
Vegetation is primarily big sagebrush.
A total of 136 flakes were collected in four activity loci. Flaked lithic debitage is
nearly all Dakota orthoquartzite with chalcedony (Locus 2) and variegated chert.
Artifacts were concentrated in four loci across the site. Locus 1 is dominated by Dakota
orthoquartzite with oolitic chert, opaque chert, and variegated orthoquartzite. Flake
morphology indicates secondary stage hard hammer core reduction with significantly less
evidence for late stage biface thinning. Locus 2 consists entirely of 20 chalcedony flakes
representing a single reduction episode of secondary and late stage tool manufacture.
Locus 3 consists of five flakes derived from chalcedony and orthoquartzite; this locus
may be related spatially to either Locus 1 or 2. Locus 4 is also dominated by Dakota
orthoquartzite with lesser quantities of chert and variegated orthoquartzite. Flakemorphology indicates an emphasis toward late stage tool manufacture based on flake
type, small size grades, and paucity of cortex evident on flakes.
Five tools were observed and collected (FS 1 through FS 5). FS 4 and FS 5 were
pulled from bulk lithic in the laboratory. FS 1 is a Stage 3 biface of Dakota
orthoquartzite located in Locus 3; FS 2 is a unifacially ground sandstone metate
fragment; FS 3 is a Stage 4 biface fragment of Dakota orthoquartzite; FS 4 is a retouched
flake of chalcedony; and FS 5 is a retouched flake of Dakota orthoquartzite. No features
or diagnostic artifacts were observed. The site was a temporary camp that appears to
have been visited by multiple groups or revisited over time for activities related to lithic
reduction and tool manufacture. Each locus appears to have been a single reduction
episode of varying intensity.
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Three backhoe trenches were excavated to evaluate the potential for buried cultural
material. This site was the first to be trenched in the project area. The three exposed
profiles were similar: from the surface to 20 cm bgs, the sediment was slightly
consolidated sandy loess; from 20 to 40 cm bgs, the sediment became a more compact
sandy loam; from 40 to 50 cm bgs, the clay had been translocated from the sediment and
weak CaCO3 had developed; and below 50 cm bgs, the sediment was saturated with
CaCO3.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended field
not eligible and 100% controlled collection of artifacts took place. No buried cultural
material was located through trenching, nor was there evidence for cultural staining. Site
documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8274
Site Type: Open Camp
Site Description: The site is an open lithic and ground stone scatter located
Vegetation
consists primarily of sagebrush and surface sediment is reddish tan sandy loess. This site
is located a
A total of 31 artifacts were observed, but only 28 were collected (three could not berelocated during controlled collection phase). The surface assemblage consists of 22
flakes, three biface fragments (two collected), two projectile points (one collected and
one drawn), three manos, and one slab metate fragment.
The flaked lithic assemblage is more varied than other sites in the project area
because orthoquartzite and oolitic chert is the most dominant, followed by variegated
chert and chalcedony. Flake morphology appears to be more oriented toward secondary
reduction as size grades tend to be larger and there are more broken flakes, fragments,
and shatter in the assemblage. Few flakes exhibit cortex. The flakes themselves are
dispersed over a large area and do not conform to any readily discernible concentration.
FS 1 is a semitranslucent dark chalcedony or oolitic chert projectile point that is
typologically similar to a Pinto Shouldered or Elko Eared (Appendix C-1, Figures 9 and
10); FS 2 is a Stage 2-3 orthoquartzite biface fragment; FS 3 is a Stage 3 biface fragment
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of green chert or silicified sediment; FS 4 is a biface fragment of beige chert; FS 5 is a
brown ware sherd (not relocated); and FS 6 is a projectile point base (morphologically
similar to FS 1) of green chert (Appendix C-1, Figures 12 and 13). Ground stone consists
of a unifacially ground sandstone slab metate fragment (FS 8), one thermally fractured
sandstone mano fragment (FS 7), and two complete sandstone manos located next to each
other (FS 9).
No features were noted. The projectile points indicate an Early Archaic through Late
Archaic occupation depending on whether these points are typed as Pinto Shouldered or
Elko Eared (Holmer 1986). The presence of a probable Uncompahgre brownware sherd
indicates a Numic cultural affiliation. The site appears to have been a location for
activities related to tool manufacture and retooling, and may have been a temporary
hunting camp. One backhoe trench was excavated within the site boundaries producing
an identical sediment profile as site 5MN8273 described above.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended field
not eligible and 100% controlled collection of artifacts took place. No buried cultural
material was located through trenching, nor was there evidence for cultural staining. Site
documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8275Site Type: Historic Habitation
Site Description: The site is located
Vegetation is dominated by
sagebrush, and surface sediment is reddish tan silty loess.
Hundreds of artifacts were observed on site including hole-in-top cans; tobacco tins;
sanitary cans; lard buckets; amethyst, clear, aqua, and brown glass; white porcelain with
blue and green paint; whiteware; machined nails; and a safety pin. Three features (F 1 to
F 3) were observed and documented. F 1 is a linear rock alignment that may have been
the foundation for a structure. F 2 is a well located at least 10 meters west of F 1. The
well is constructed of three to four courses of semishaped sandstone rocks, lined with
mortar. It measures about 9 feet in diameter (exterior) and is about 7 feet deep. F 3 is a
circular depression to the north about 30 meters from F 1 and F 2. The depression is
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about 14 feet in diameter, and is of unknown function. The site most likely dates to the
early 1900s based on the observed artifact assemblage. General Land Office (GLO)
records for the State of Colorado indicate that the property was purchased by William
Sullivan on January 27, 1914 under the Homestead Act of 1862.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended as
field not eligible. The site retains no structural integrity and it is not known to be
associated with significant persons or events. The site is unlikely to yield additional
significant information beyond current documentation.
Site Number: 5MN8276
Site Type: Open Artifact Scatter
Site Description: The site is a very sparse lithic scatter
Vegetation consists mainly of
sagebrush, and surface sediment is reddish tan silty loess.
Only 11 artifacts were observed and collected, including eight secondary oolitic chert
and quartzite flakes, a biface fragment of gray-red orthoquartzite (FS 1), the base of a
Jimmy Allen projectile manufactured from white chert (FS 2; Appendix C-1, Figure 14),
and a sandstone mano/hammerstone (FS 3). The surface assemblage is widely dispersed
within the site boundaries and it is possible that the flakes and FS 1 or FS 3 are notrelated to the Jimmy Allen point. The mano is 7 meters northeast of the point. The site
appears to have been used temporarily for activities related to lithic reduction and vegetal
processing.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended field
not eligible. The site is a very limited and dispersed artifact assemblage with no features.
Subsurface testing at adjacent sites and similar landforms indicate little potential for
buried cultural materials. Controlled collection of surface artifacts (100%) took place on
the site to exhaust the data potential. The site is unlikely to yield additional significant
information beyond current documentation.
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Site Number: 5MN8277
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is an open lithic scatter located
Vegetation consists mainly of
sagebrush, and surface sediment is reddish tan silty loess.
Artifacts consist of 33 flakes, four bifaces (FS 2, FS 4, FS 6, and FS 7), four
retouched flakes (FS 3, FS 5, FS 8, and FS 9), and one drill tip (FS 1). No diagnostic
artifacts were present.
The flaked lithic debitage was documented in two proveniences: Locus 1 and general
bulk lithic. Locus 1 contained 21 flakes, all of which are derived from variegated
orthoquartzite. Flake morphology indicates an emphasis toward secondary, hard hammer
percussion reduction with few occurrences of cortex. The general bulk lithic assemblage
consists of 12 flakes, all of which are variegated orthoquartzite except for two chalcedony
flakes. The distribution of flakes indicates that one or two reduction episodes took place
in conjunction with stone tool manufacture and use. All representative biface stages are
present in the assemblage.
A single backhoe trench was excavated within site boundaries following artifact
collection to assess the potential for subsurface cultural deposits. No evidence of culturalmaterial was found. The sediment profile is similar to the other trenches excavated in the
area and consists of the following: from the surface to 10 cm bgs was unconsolidated
sand; from 10 to 30 cm bgs was a sandy loam (probable Btk horizon); from 30 to 50 cm
bgs was moderate CaCO3; and below 50 cm bgs, the profile was saturated with CaCO3.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended field
not eligible. The site contains a limited and sparse artifact assemblage with no features.
A trench and shovel test were excavated and yielded no buried cultural material. The site
underwent 100% controlled collection of artifacts to exhaust the research potential of the
site, since it will be affected by the proposed project.
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Site Number: 5MN8278
Site Type: Historic Habitation
Site Description: The site is located
Vegetation consists mainly of prickly pear and
grasses, and soils are orange-tan sandy loess.
Four features and associated historic trash comprise the site. F 1 is a fenceline; F 2 is
a possible foundation with structural debris (milled lumber and nails); F 3 is a rough
rectangular depression with rocks and cross beam on its west end and two associated
posts in the depression; and F 4 is a circular depression with coal and kiln bricks. F 2 is a
possible habitation structure and F 3 is a probable dugout or cellar that was once roofed.
The function of F 4 may have been a trash pit, kiln, or even a coke oven for processing
coal. Trash includes amethyst, clear, brown, and aqua glass; stove parts; metal
fragments; whiteware; barrel hoops; nails; milled limber; wire; and barbed wire.
Artifacts suggest that the site most likely dates to the early 1900s and that limited
habitation took place at the location. GLO records indicate that the property was
purchased by Maurice F. Sullivan on March 4, 1916 under the Homestead Act of 1862.
Management Recommendation: No further work. Based on the available
evidence, this site is recommended field not eligible. The site does not retain structural
integrity and is not known to be associated with significant persons or events.
Documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8279
Site Type: Open Artifact Scatter
Site Description: The site is located in
Vegetation consists of sagebrush,
rabbitbrush, prickly pear, and bunch grasses.
Artifacts include 55 secondary flakes, 21 of which were collected and subjected to
laboratory analysis. Flake morphology indicates an emphasis toward secondary lithic
reduction based on large size grades and unprepared platforms. Hard hammer percussion
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was the dominant reduction medium, based on the incidence of flake fragments and
shatter in the assemblage.
Ten flaked lithic and ground stone tools were identified and documented (FS 1through FS 10). FS 1 is a sandstone one-handed mano; FS 2 is a large gray sandstone
metate unifacially ground and flat; FS 3 is either a Humboldt projectile point base
fragment or Cottonwood Leaf-shaped (Appendix C-1, Figure 15); FS 4 is a Stage 3 biface
fragment of black chert; FS 5 is a buff-colored, unifacially ground and flat sandstone
metate; FS 6 is a retouched orthoquartzite flake; FS 7 is a sandstone metate fragment; FS
8 is an unmodified basalt cobble (ecofact); FS 9 is a sandstone metate fragment; and FS
10 is a Stage 4 chert biface fragment. No features were identified.
The possible Humboldt concave-base lanceolate projectile point suggests a Middle
Archaic (3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C.) occupation of the site; conversely, if it is a Cottonwood
it would place the site to the late Formative or Protohistoric periods (Holmer 1986). The
site was used as a temporary camp and location for resource processing and tool
manufacture activities. The number of flat unifacially ground metates suggests that
vegetal processing was an important activity.
Two trenches were excavated within the site boundaries to evaluate the potential for
buried cultural deposits, which yielded no buried cultural material. Trench profiles
indicate a similar sediment deposition profile to the other trenches excavated within the
project area. The profile for Trench 2: from the surface to 5 cm bgs is an unconsolidated
sandy loess; from 5 cm to 40 cm bgs is a reddish brown sandy loess; and below 40 cm
bgs is a light brown, compact sandy loess with moderate CaCO3 accumulation.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended field
not eligible. Although the site exhibits a diverse artifact assemblage, two trenches
excavated to evaluate the potential for buried deposits were negative for buried cultural
material. All observed surface artifacts at the site were collected for analysis and to
exhaust the data potential of the site. The research potential of the site has been
exhausted through documentation.
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Site Number: 5MN8280
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is located
Surface sediment is reddish tan sandy loess and the
vegetation consists of sagebrush, snakeweed, and bunch grasses. An ephemeral drainage
is located a short distance to the east.
Documented surface artifacts consist of 27 secondary flakes of orthoquartzite. No
tools or features were observed. The site is most likely the result of a single lithic
reduction episode, as artifacts are concentrated and do not occur in the cleared area
around the site. Subsurface testing at adjacent sites indicates little potential for additional
buried cultural materials.
Management Recommendation: No further work. Based on the available
evidence, this site is recommended field not eligible. The assemblage indicates a single
reduction episode; documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Subsurface testing at adjacent sites indicates little potential for buried cultural material.
Site Number: 5MN8281
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is located
Vegetation consists of sagebrush, snakeweed, and
bunch grasses, and surface sediment is reddish tan sandy loess. The site is located
Documented surface artifacts consist of 23 secondary flakes of orthoquartzite, six
secondary chert flakes, and one tool (FS 1). FS 1 is a retouched flake of red chert. No
features were observed. The site is most likely the location of a single lithic reduction
episode. Two shovel tests were excavated on site, one of which yielded two flakes in
unconsolidated sandy loess between 0 and 10 cm bgs. Given the extensive testing of
other sites within the project area and on similar landforms, the documentation of
subsurface artifacts is most likely spurious and probably recovered from a near surface
context, but shovel testing is not amenable to precise vertical provenience.
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Management Recommendation: No further work. Based on the available
evidence, this site is recommended field not eligible. The site is a small lithic scatter that
probably represents a single synchronic lithic reduction episode. Although a shovel test
produced two flakes in unconsolidated soils between 0 and 10 cm bgs, it is probable that
these flakes originated from a near surface context. The potential for buried cultural
deposits is remote based on the results of subsurface testing at other sites within the
project area. Current documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8282
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is a small concentrated lithic scatter located
Vegetation
consists of sagebrush, snakeweed, and bunch grasses, and surface sediment is reddish tan
sandy loess. The main two-track running through the project area is located
Documented surface artifacts consist of 28 secondary orthoquartzite flakes and two
secondary chert flakes. No features or diagnostic artifacts were observed. The site
appears to be the location of a single lithic reduction episode based on the concentrated
distribution of surface flakes and the dominance of a single raw material.
Management Recommendation: No further work. This site is recommended field
not eligible. The site is a small lithic scatter with a limited class of artifacts and no
features. Subsurface testing at adjacent sites indicates little potential for buried cultural
deposits. Current documentation has exhausted the research potential of the site.
Site Number: 5MN8283
Site Type: Open Camp
Site Description: The site is located
Vegetation consists of sagebrush, snakeweed, and
saltbush, and surface sediment is reddish tan sandy loess. It appears portions of the site
area have been cleared of vegetation in the past.
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The documented surface assemblage consists of 59 secondary flakes (100%
collected). The surface assemblage was documented as two proveniences, a general bulk
lithic and Locus 1. Locus 1 consists of 37 flakes dominated by variegated orthoquartzite
and variegated chert and quartzite. Flake morphology indicates that the full range of
reduction took place, although dominated by secondary core reduction. Cortex was
minimally evident on flakes. The general bulk lithic assemblage is again dominated by
variegated orthoquartzite and lesser numbers of variegated chert flakes. A tested cobble
nodule indicates that local gravels were used as a secondary lithic source.
Fifteen tools (FS 1 through FS 15) were documented. FS 1 is a Stage 4 biface
midsection manufactured from orthoquartzite; FS 2 through FS 4 are orthoquartzite cores,
one of which is a cobble; FS 5 is a small one-handed sandstone mano fragment that is
bifacially ground and pecked with battering on extant end; FS 6 is a flat unifacially
ground sandstone metate fragment; FS 7 is two core fragments of tabular orthoquartzite;
FS 8 is a bifacially ground, one-handed sandstone mano fragment split in half; and FS 9
through FS 12 are minimally retouched flakes, three of which were pulled from bulk
lithic provenience. FS 13 is a large corner-notched projectile point with a rounded to
convex base that resembles Basketmaker II type points (Appendix C-1, Figure 16). FS
14 and FS 15 are tested chert nodules.
No features were observed on site. The site was most likely a temporary camp and
location for vegetal processing and lithic reduction activities. Following controlled
artifact collection, an area measuring about 24 feet by 30 feet was scraped within Locus 1
using a backhoe to evaluate the sites potential for subsurface cultural deposits. Multiple
scrapes revealed no buried cultural material or staining.
Management Recommendation: No further work. The site is recommended as
field not eligible. Extensive subsurface testing indicated no evidence for subsurface
cultural deposits and 100% collection has exhausted the research potential of the site.
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Site Number: 5MN8284
Site Type: Open Lithic Scatter
Site Description: The site is an open lithic scatter located
Vegetation consists of
pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, prickly pear, and rabbitbrush. Surface sediments are reddish
tan silty loess overlying alluvial fan deposits.
Artifacts consist of 100 to 200 orthoquartzite, quartzite, and chert flakes;
orthoquartzite being the dominant material. Eleven tools (FS 1 through FS 11) were
observed on site. No collection took place. FS 1 is a core of green Dakota
orthoquartzite; FS 2 is a Stage 4 preform of dark brown chert; FS 3 is a gray quartzite
projectile point (Appendix C-1, Figure 17); FS 4 is a white orthoquartzite Stage 3 biface;
FS 5 is a Stage 3 biface midsection; FS 6 is a Stage 3 biface distal end; FS 7 is a Stage 4
biface distal end; FS 8 is a biface of green unknown lithic material with inclusions; FS 9
is a Stage 4 biface fragment of Dakota orthoquartzite; FS 10 is a retouched orthoquartzite
biface; FS 11 is a Stage 4 red chert biface fragment; and FS 12 is an orthoquartzite core.
The corner-notched projectile point is typologically similar to an Elko Corner-
notched. In the eastern Great Basin/Intermountain Region, this type has a long temporal
duration (Holmer 1986) and is a poor diagnostic artif