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<br />.- <br /> <br />'^ <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />2259 <br /> <br />Field investigations in the olue _~sa (fDrmerly Gotton- <br /> <br /> <br />wood) .:eservoir basin, bet~een the to~ns of Gunnison and Sapinero, <br /> <br /> <br />have shown abundant evidence of the former presence of recent no.nadic <br /> <br /> <br />peoples, presumably the Utes and their immediate ancestors. rhus far <br /> <br /> <br />no traces of very early occupation t~ve been observed. However, <br /> <br /> <br />artifacts collected from the surface do appear relatively primitive <br /> <br /> <br />and suggest the possibility that peoples antedating the late nomads <br /> <br /> <br />were in the region. The relationship between these for'llS and the <br /> <br /> <br />other types can only be determined by the examination of Dne or more <br /> <br /> <br />stratified sites and it is hoped that intensive survey of the area will <br /> <br /> <br />reveal the existence of such sites. Surface manifestations Df abori- <br /> <br /> <br />ginal occupation consist of tipi rings', chippers I debris, unfini- <br /> <br /> <br />shed artifacts broken or rejected in the ~rocess of lnanufacture, pro- <br /> <br /> <br />jectile points, scrapers, and ~lling stones. In the latter category <br /> <br /> <br />are both the basal stone or metate and small' handst~ne or lnanD. A <br /> <br /> <br />few rock shelters have been noted, but thus far none has been found <br /> <br /> <br />containing stratified deposits. The only materials present are <br /> <br /> <br />sparse ashes and charcoal, and a few food-refuse bones from animals <br /> <br /> <br />common in the region today. <br /> <br /> <br />Surveys are at present mder way in the Almont and Cimarron <br /> <br /> <br />Reservoir basins, and indications are that they also were occupied <br /> <br /> <br />by hunting peoples. It iB believed that si.lllilar manifestations will <br /> <br /> <br />be found in the Gateview and Cebolla areas. ThiUl far there have been <br /> <br /> <br />no indications whatever that any of the sites "iill yield evidence <br /> <br /> <br />of occupancy by sedentary peoples. <br /> <br />48 <br />