MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO OFFICE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES TESTING OF SEVEN SITES ALONG NM 134 IN SAN JUAN COUNTY, NEAR CRYSTAL, NEW MEXICO Dorothy A. Zamora ARCHAEOLOGY NOTES 170 SANTA FE 2000 NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO OFFICE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES TESTING OF SEVEN SITES ALONG NM 134 IN $AN JUAN COUNTY, NEAR CRYSTAL, NEWMEXICO Dorothy A. Zamora with contributions by Linda J, Goodman Rhonda Main Guadalupe A. Martinez Meredith Matthews Linda Mick-O’Hara C. Dean Wilson Submitted by David A, Phillips, Jr. ARCHAEOLOGY NOTES 170 SANTA FE 2000 NEW MEXICO ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY At the request of the New Mexico State Highwayand Transportation Department(NMSHTD), the Office of Archaeological Studies (OAS), Museum of New Mexico, conducted limited archaeological testingof seven sites(LA 68377-LA 68383) along NM 134. The testing was designed to determine the nature and extent of the sites and see if a data recovery program was necessary. NMSHTD proposes to construct a six foot shoulder on both sides of NM 134 in San Juan County. The initial survey was performed by NMSHTD archaeologist Sandra Marshall and Office of Archaeological Studies (OAS) archaeologistAnn Noble on August 28 through September 9, 1988. Limited archaeological testing was conductedby OAS archaeologist Dorothy Zamoraffom July 24 through August 24, 1989, under ARPA Permit ARPA-89-002and Navajo Nation Permit (28904. Testing at LA 68377 produced a calibrated radiocarbon dateof 5070 f 190 B.P., dating the site to the Archaic period. LA 68378is a collapsed Archaic rockshelter witha calibrated carbon-I4 date of 2790 f 170 B.P. LA 68379 isa historic sitedating between 1930 and 1940. LA68380 is a Pueblo I component dated1 1 10 1 90 B.P. that came froma deflated surface hearth. LA 68381a secondaryis artifact deposit thatwas brought in when the roadbedwas built up. LA 68382 is a multicomponent site with a possible Pueblo I1 occupation anda Historic cement slab.The site was assigned a Pueblo I1 date from the ceramics found on the surface.The Historic component could possiblydate as early as 1930. LA 68383, a procurement and lithic artifact manufacturing area, did not produce a date. All of the sites are within the highway right-of-way,but outside of the construction area. This includes the sites that are on bothsides of the highway. Parts of the sites were removed during the construction of the existing road and shoulder, and what remains will not be affected.The NMSHTD does not intend to do any additional mechanical dirt removal, and four of the seven sites will be fenced off to protect them. If anyadditional soil removal takes place at any of these sites, a data recovery plan should be put intoaction. In addition to the archaeological testing,an ethnographic studyof LA 68379, including a former Navajo log home, was conducted by Linda Goodman of OAS. The site, part of a much larger extended family and clan residential community,functioned primarily as a habitation site between about 1920 and the mid-1940s. Submitted in fulfillment of Memorandum of Agreement DO3773 between the NewMexico State Highway and Transportation Department and the Officeof Archaeological Studies, Museumof New Mexico. MNM Project No. 41.467 (Crystal) NMSHTD D 03773 (District 6) ARPA Permit No. ARPA-89-002 Navajo Nation Permit No. C8904 ... 111 CONTENTS ... Administrative Summary ....................................................... 111 Introduction .................................................................. 1 Environment. by Guadalupe Martinez .............................................. 3 ArchaeologicalOverview ....................................................... 7 Previous Work in the Area ....................................................... 9 Testing Procedures ............................................................ 11 TestingResults ............................................................... 13 LA68377 ................................................................ 13 LA68378 ................................................................ 18 LA68379 ................................................................ 23 LA68380 ................................................................ 27 LA68381 ................................................................ 35 LA68382 ................................................................ 37 LA68383 ................................................................ 41 Summary of Findings .......................................................... 45 StoneArtifacts ............................................................ 45 Ceramics, by Dean Wilson .................................................. 45 An Ethnohistorical Examination of LA 68379 and Adjacent Areasof Crystal. by Linda J . Goodman ............................................................................ 47 An Overview of Navajo History .............................................. 48 Historical Background of the Chuska Mountain-Crystal-Narbona Pass Area ...........51 LA68379 ................................................................ 53 Site Function and Related Cultural and EconomicActivities ........................ 56 Site Interpretation ......................................................... 58 Summary and Conclusions .................................................. 61 Addendum: People Interviewed for the LA 68379 Ethnohistory Project ............... 61 Endnotes ................................................................ 62 Discussion .................................................................. 63 Recommendations ............................................................. 65 ReferencesCited ............................................................. 67 Appendix 1: Site Location Information ............................................ 75 Appendix 2: Results of Macrobotanical Analysis for the Washington Pass Testing Program: LA 68377. LA 68378. and LA 68380 ............................................. 81 Appendix 3: Tables ........................................................... 85 V Figures 1 . Project vicinity map ......................................................... 2 2.Sitemap,LA68377 ........................................................ 15 3 and 4 . Plan and profile of Feature 1, surface stain, LA 68377 ......................... 17 5 . Projectile point from Feature 1, LA 68377 ....................................... 18 6.Sitemap7LA68378 ........................................................ 19 7 . Collapsed rockshelter, LA 68378 .............................................. 20 8. Close-up of ash lens, LA 68378 ............................................... 20 9 . Profile of rockshelter stratigraphy, LA 68378 .................................... 21 10. Test Grid 101N/97E in ash lens, LA 68378...................................... 22 11. Plan of Feature 1, LA 68379 ................................................. 24 12. Stone foundation with Clark residence in background, Feature 1, LA 68379 ............25 13. Feature 1, deflated hearth, LA 68379 .......................................... 25 14.Siternap,LA68380 ........................................................ 29 15 . Plan view of deflated hearth, Feature 1, LA 68380 ................................ 31 16. Feature 1, deflated hearth, LA 68380 .......................................... 31 17. Profile of Feature 2, LA 68380 ............................................... 32 18 and 19 . Plan and profile of Feature 3, possible surface, LA 68380 .................... 33 20 and 2 1. Plan and profile of Feature 4, use surface with posthole, LA 68380 .............34 22.Sitemap7LA68381........................................................ 36 23.Sitemap,LA68382 ........................................................ 38 24.ScrapersfromLA68382 .................................................... 40 25.Sitemap7LA68383 ........................................................ 42 26 . Tsit’najinnieClan genealogical chart ........................................... 55 vi INTRODUCTION William L. Taylor, environmental program manager of the NMSHTD, requested the limited testing of seven sites located by NMSHTD archaeologistSandra Marshall 1988) to determine their extent and nature. The sites are in theexisting highway right-of-way, within which the NMSHTD proposes to construct a six foot shoulder on both sides of the highway. The Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico, conducted a limited testing program alongNM 134 in San JuanCounty between July24 and August 24, 1989. The investigation was supervised by DorothyA. Zamora, whowas assisted by Rhonda Mainand Scott Geister. David A. Phillips Jr. served as principal investigator for the project. The sites are on unplatted Navajo Tribal Fee land (Appendix 1). The beginning of the project (BOP) is in UTM Zone l2,3985360N, 678755E, in McKinley County, and the end of the project (EOP) is in UTM Zone 12,3996970N, 696225E, in San Juan County (Fig. 1). lt extends for 24.14 km (1 5 miles). Four of the seven sites (LA68377, LA 68378, LA 68380,and LA 68382) have potentialto yield information importantto the prehistoryof the area. Three sites(LA 68379,LA 68381 and LA 68383) need no further work. N ENVIRONMENT Guadalupe Martinez The proposed improvement of State Highway 134 necessitatedtesting along the right-of-way corridor. The project parallels the existing highway through theChuska Mountains and terminates 0.3107 km (one half mile) eastof Narbona Pass (formerly known as Washington Pass).The project is in mountains