One of the more interesting developments in the field of archaeology in the recent past is the emergence of predictive modeling as an integral component of the discipline. Within any developing and expanding field, one may expect some initial controversy that will, presumably, diminish as the techniques are tested, refined, and finally accepted. We are still very much in the initial stages of learning how to go about using predictive modeling in archaeology, and this book represents an effort by some of the leading experts in the field to present a comprehensive and detailed examination of...

One of the most important tools in archaeology for interpreting the past is a scientifically controlled method of excavation that is used to reveal important sites. The Yarmony Pit House excavation demonstrates how an archaeological site that seemingly might not be spectacular on the surface can yield extremely significant data. This project, undertaken by the Bureau of Land Management and Eagle County, Colorado, represents a major study of a unique archaeological site. Pit house complexes are not particularly common in north central Colorado, so when one is discovered and analyzed, the data...

Culture resource overviews such as this bring together much of the available information on prehistoric and historic peoples and present day Native American groups along with their associated environments. The purpose behind these studies is to provide background information for the management of and research into these prehistoric, historic, and contemporary resources. This overview is one of seven covering the southern California deserts undertaken as part of a comprehensive planning effort by the Bureau of Land Management for these deserts. Overviews aid in the day-to-day management of...

This volume represents a bridge between Colorado's prehistoric past and the time of Anglo-American settlement in our state. Few people realize that hundreds of years before the discovery of gold in Colorado during 1859, a highly developed European civilization had explored and settled the area now known as New Mexico and Colorado. Spanish conquistadors roamed the plains in the mid-1500s. They came here permanently in 1598 and founded the second oldest city in North America. This long cultural heritage was overshadowed when Colorado and New Mexico] became part of the United States during the...

The Mojave Desert in southeastern California is a wedge-shaped region having its apex toward the west. This report deals with the western part of the desert - a part that is characterized by interior drainage and is sharply delineated by mountain ranges on both the southwest and northwest. The part mapped geologically inc1udes about 7,200 square miles between latitudes 34 34' and 35 30' N. and longitudes 117 and 119 W., or parts of Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. The center of the region lies about 70 miles airline north-northeast of Los Angeles. Fieldwork was done during the...

One of the most critical concerns for land managers and professional archaeologists is vandalism or unwarranted destruction of vestiges of the nation's historic and prehistoric cultural resources. Though illegal since 1906, the attrition of archaeological sites and data on public lands has been and continues to be a serious problem. This study undertakes analysis of the factors affecting vandalism to archaeological sites in the Bureau of Land Management's Sacred Mountain Planning Unit, located in southwestern Colorado. The study area has long been known for its many spectacular prehistoric...

This presents the second in a series of cultural resource reports. This study concerns historic sites and values located on and around public lands in Colorado. It was derived from a prototype study that is an integral part of the Bureau of Land Management's Cultural Resource Management Program. A major objective and mandate of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, is to preserve and study cultural resources, particularly historic and prehistoric properties. Evidences of our history and heritage cover large areas of public domain under BLM jurisdiction.

This publication represents the first portion of the Craig District's Class I overview for archaeology. Over the last several years, Craig District, beginning with the Little Snake Resource Area, developed an overview system that contains an extensive computer database, a compilation of site data, and a narrative overview. This document is that narrative. In it, Halcyon La Point explores the pre-history of the Little Snake area, while also compiling data that has heretofore, been largely scattered. The primary contribution of this work is the consolidation of much data into a highly readable...

This document presents the first major study of the prehistory of North Park, the northernmost of the three intermontane basins in Colorado. The archaeological investigations were conducted by the University of Colorado for the Bureau of land Management to determine areas suitable for leasing and mining coal. These data have also provided baseline information for the preparation of a land use plan encompassing North Park. Investigations conducted in 1977 and 1978 reveal a long and rich prehistory in North Park, where a number of prehistoric cultures utilized the natural resources available in...

The Bureau of Land Management sponsored this report on the history of ecological change in Aravaipa Canyon and adjacent lands in order to gain a better understanding of alterations in the study area's natural environment and of the reasons for which it came to be in its present condition. The report attempts to record a century of land change and resource use along with the decisions and thought processes of the individuals and agencies which shaped Aravaipa's landscape. Before the initiation of this study, as old-timers from "the Aravaipa" passed away and documents were lost or discarded,...