SLV
Archaeological Network Activities Reports
Ute Mountain Tribal Park Tour
Twenty-nine
people attended a fascinating tour of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal
Park near Cortez in June. The 100,000-acre park, on the Ute Mountain
Ute Indian Reservation, has been set aside to preserve remnants
of the Ancestral Puebloan and Ute cultures. Our Ute guide led us
on a journey through sites usually only explored by smaller groups.
From the park headquarters we drove up the Mancos River valley where
undeveloped sites, including several kivas, were visited. Sites
are generally unexcavated revealing original rockwork and ancient
timbers. A variety of pottery shards, stone tools, grinding stones,
and small corncobs were well represented in the informal collections
placed near the sites by previous visitors. Narrow rocky trails,
accessible by ladders up to 40' high, led us to canyon villages
situated in large rock shelters. Our Ute guide provided expert commentary
on the sites and also provided us with information relative to past
and present Ute culture. Everyone seemed to enjoy the trip and we
plan on repeating it next year if there is an interest. If you would
like to visit the Tribal Park on your own this summer or fall you
can call 1-800-847-5485 for more information or visit their website
at http://www.utemountainute.com/tribalpark.htm
|
Upcoming SLV Archaeological Network Activities
Saturday, August 23 Big Horn Creek Archaeological
Inventory. An archaeological inventory
in the area of Big Horn Creek in the mountains to the west of Antonito
will occur on Saturday, August 23. The outing will involve walking
transects searching for evidence of prehistoric campsites. The area
has a demonstrated high density of lithic sites with a variety of
stone tools. Wear hiking boots and bring water and lunch along.
We will meet at the junction of US Highway 285 and Colorado Highway
17 (just south of Antonito) at 10:00 AM. There is a turnout on the
right at the road junction. Look for a white sedan. Please contact
Vince Spero at 719-852-6242 (work), 719-873-5916 (home), or by e-mail
at vspero@peoplepc.com
for more information.
top
of page
McIntire Ranch Historic Test Excavation
A
test excavation of historic archaeological deposits associated with
the adobe ruin of the ranch of former Colorado governor Albert W.
McIntire will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday, September 27
and 28. The house, built around 1880, is located at McIntire Spring
several miles from the town of Sanford in the southern San Luis
Valley. The undisturbed historic archaeological deposits, relating
directly to the occupation of the dwelling, are considered an important
feature of the site. Excavation can yield information pertaining
to the lifestyle of people living in the house. Albert McIntire
graduated from Yale College in 1875 obtaining a degree in law. He
soon headed west to Denver where he started a law practice. In 1880
he moved to the SLV to become a rancher where he learned first-hand
the art of Colorado water law. In 1884 he became a Conejos County
Judge and by 1891 was appointed to the 12th Judicial District where
he served until the Colorado Republican party nominated him as a
candidate for the governorship of Colorado. In the 1894 election
he defeated the incumbent Populist governor Davis H. Waite by a
relatively large number of votes.
McIntire's
accomplishments included working for women's rights, expansion of
the state mental asylum, providing for uniform sentencing in criminal
cases, and banking reform aimed at protecting the public. He also
created a system of state forests and established water conservation
measures. The Governor was forced to send the National Guard troops
into the Leadville area during a confrontation with a mining union
in 1896. McIntire was not re-elected in 1896 and he returned to
his ranch. He died in Colorado Springs in 1935. He is buried in
the La Jara Cemetery. The Bureau of Land Management now administers
the land encompassing the ranch. Please contact Vince Spero at 719-852-6242
(work), 719-873-5916 (home), or by e-mail at vspero@peoplepc.com
for more information and to sign up for the project.
Marian Seegrist Receives PAAC Scholar Status
Marian
Seegrist of Alamosa is the first San Luis Valley Archaeological
Network member to receive Program for Avocational Archaeological
Certification (PAAC) Scholar Status for completing thirteen PAAC
classes on archaeological topics. She received her award at the
Colorado Archaeological Society meeting in Denver on July 26. Congratulations
go to Marian for being the first member to complete all of the courses
offered. Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist of Colorado,
teaches two courses each year in Alamosa. The next class, Principals
in Archaeological Excavation, will be held in Alamosa on November
7, 8, and 9, 2003. Please contact Loretta Mitson at 719-843-5328
or by email at mitson53@yahoo.com
for more information about the upcoming class. For more information
on classes in other Colorado cities go the CAS website at
http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/index.html
Top
of Page
|
