Archaeological Survey of a Portion of the Antelope Gulch Locality, Fremont County, Colorado by Kevin D. Black Principal Investigator with a contribution by Aaron Theis for the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners Denver, Colorado Sponsored by History Colorado Office of the State Archaeologist of Colorado Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification Denver, Colorado Colorado State Permits #2008–16, 2009–81, 2010–7, 2011–11 August 2013 Abstract During the 2008–2011 field seasons, an archaeological survey was conducted northeast of Salida, Colorado as part of the training available in the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC). The project thus used volunteers largely from the Colorado Archaeological Society (CAS) already enrolled in PAAC, supervised and trained by the Assistant State Archaeologist from History Colorado. The inventory was completed on nearly 800 acres of state trust lands at the extreme southwestern edge of South Park, in the northwest corner of Fremont County, Colorado. The study tract encompasses an ecozone transitioning from open grassland to mixed conifer woodlands on the west side of Badger Creek, at elevations of 2695– 2835 m. This area was intensively surveyed in part to train PAAC volunteers in archaeological inventory and mapping methods, but also to gather baseline data on the archaeological record surrounding Antelope Gulch site 5FN494, which had been the target of multiple episodes of vandalism and surface collecting in recent years. As a result of the survey a total of 80 sites and 22 isolated finds (IFs) were recorded for the first time, including both American Indian and non-Indian materials. Historic period non-Indian sites comprise a mix of artifact scatters, prospect pits, camps, and cairns related to ranching, logging, mineral exploration, and utility line construction/maintenance. The more common prehistoric sites are mainly open lithic scatters, toolstone sources, and short-term camps typically dating to the Late Archaic or post-Archaic periods. Limited evidence for more ancient Archaic and Paleoindian period activity was found, post-dating 8600 BC. Features on project area sites are not common but include artifact concentrations, lithic workshop stations, stained soil, and fire-cracked rock (FCR) concentrations. Only one site contained a stone enclosure resembling the features interpreted as hunting blinds and tipi rings at Antelope Gulch. No prehistoric ceramics were encountered, although a few sites with pottery are known from the wider region. Burial of archaeological materials is most likely to occur in alluvial and colluvial deposits along the valleys of Antelope Gulch and other western tributaries of Badger Creek. However, sites on the ridges and benches above the drainages are exposed in much shallower soils such that some of the more ancient remains are at least partially exposed at the present surface. Overall, human occupation of the project area has been quite intense, partly due to the presence of numerous small toolstone deposits, especially of iron-rich cherts or jasper. Some of these source materials resemble the widely known Trout Creek chert that outcrops in eastern Chaffee County. The chert and jasper sources in this part of central Colorado occur in geologically diverse circumstances, within sedimentary and igneous formations ranging in age from the Ordovician to mid-Tertiary periods. In ii addition, many project area sites are located in visibly distinctive settings surrounding Antelope Gulch, sufficient to consider defining the zone as a cultural landscape. Although heavily weighted toward debitage-dominated lithic scatters, the Antelope Gulch project area has proven to be a good training ground for PAAC. Not only is the land well suited topographically for survey instruction, but the archaeological remains are very abundant. Several of the volunteer participants have earned PAAC certificates using their experience in site recording and mapping, and several others are nearing completion of the certification requirements. iii Table of Contents Page # Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Management Information Form ..................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xiii List of Tables................................................................................................................... xvi Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... xvii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Effective Environment ..................................................................................................... 6 Physiography and Topography ............................................................................... 6 Climate ....................................................................................................................... 8 Geology and Geoarchaeology ............................................................................... 10 Soils and Vegetation ............................................................................................... 14 Fauna ........................................................................................................................ 17 Environmental Constraints ................................................................................... 17 Existing Data and Literature Review ............................................................................ 18 Statement of Objectives .................................................................................................. 31 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 32 Results ............................................................................................................................... 36 The Sites ................................................................................................................... 36 The Isolated Finds .................................................................................................. 93 Patterns and Trends in the AGS Data ...............................................................100 Site Types ...................................................................................................101 Features.......................................................................................................108 Settlement Patterns ...................................................................................112 Chronology and Cultural Affiliation .......................................................116 Material Culture: The Lithic Landscape .................................................119 iv Antelope Gulch and Chert Sources in Central Colorado .........................................132 Background ............................................................................................................133 Toolstones in Central Colorado ..........................................................................133 Toolstones in the Antelope Gulch Survey Area ...............................................137 The Geoarchaeological Context..........................................................................138 GIS Mapping in Lithic Provenance Studies ......................................................141 Discussion ..............................................................................................................145 Evaluations and Recommendations ............................................................................147 Summary and Conclusions ...........................................................................................150 References Cited ............................................................................................................153 Appendix I, Project Data Tables .................................................................................169 Appendix II, EDXRF Analysis of Obsidian Artifacts ..............................................180 Appendix III, OAHP Site and IF Forms .................................. [under separate cover] Appendix IV, Project Area Map ................................................. [under separate cover] v Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation CULTURAL RESOURCE SURVEY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION FORM Please complete this form and attach a copy behind the Table of Contents of each standard survey report. Federal acres of Potential Effect/Project: 0 Acres surveyed: N/A State acres of Potential Effect/Project: 2873 Acres surveyed: 794 ac Private acres of Potential Effect/Project: 0 Acres surveyed: N/A TOTAL: 2873 TOTAL: 794 ac Legal Location of Project (add additional pages if necessary) Note: Only generalized subdivision ("quarter quarters") within each section is needed Principal Meridian: N.M. Quad. map name(s) and date(s) Gribbles Park, CO (1994) County: Fremont Township: 51 North Range: 10 East Sec.: 11 ¼s SE Township: 51 North Range: 10 East Sec.: 12 ¼s SW Township: 51 North Range: 10 East Sec.: 13 ¼s NW & SW Township: 51 North Range: 10 East Sec.: 14 ¼s NW & NE & SE Township: 51 North Range: 10 East