2013-10-05_REVISION - C1982056 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

prehistoric site often stems from data recovered from intact surface components and subsurface cultural deposits or discrete activity areas that can be securely associated with a temporal period or named cultural group. The potential for intact deposits or cultural/temporal associations may be inferred from surface evidence of cultural features or undisturbed deposits, and the presence of temporally or culturally diagnostic artifacts. Prehistoric structural features such as wickiups, tree platforms, eagle traps, etc., can also be evaluated under Criterion A, for their association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of our history; and/or under Criterion C, if the structure embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. Historic resources may be evaluated under any of the criteria. However, in the absence of structural features or documented association with significant historic events or important contributions of persons significant in history, historical resources are evaluated under essentially the same criteria as prehistoric resources. Anticipated results of the survey were based on the files searches and previous work in t e region. Previous inventory of the region suggests a low to moderate probability for encountering cultural resources. Prehistoric/Protohistoric site type expectations in the area are for short-term camps or lithic reduction sites, and aboriginal wooden features. Historic sites were expected to be more prevalent and consisting of trash dumps, short-term hunting camps, or structures related to the ranching industry. Data compiled for the region indicates sporadic prehistoric use of the area rather than long -term habitation; therefore, prehistoric isolated finds were expected to outnumber prehistoric sites. The topography of the project area is defined by a shallow valley bounded by rolling hills in the south and open grassland in the north. The topography is not conducive to long -term or short-term habitation, but extensive slope wash could result in the identification of artifacts from higher locales that are more likely to have been utilized by prehistoric peoples. 1 I !1 A two hundred foot (60m) block was centered around each well location and was inventoried with parallel pedestrian transects spaced no more than 50ft (20m) apart. The 5700ft (1740m) of surveyed access was covered with a total corridor width of 1 00f (50ft each side of the road center), while the 600ft of new access, leading to the 22 location, was inventoried with a wedge covering 4.5 acres (Figure 1). This resulted in a total of 19.5 acres being Class III inventoried for this project. Additional access to the well locations will be via bladed maintained existing roads. These roads were not inventoried for cultural resources. Special attention was paid to areas of enhanced subsurface visibility such as road cuts, drainage cut banks, and animal trails for artifacts, features, or buried cultural horizons. A site is defined as a discrete locus of patterned human activity greater than 50 years of age and consisting of five or more prehistoric artifacts with or without features or over 50 historic artifacts with For Official Use Only: Disclosure of Site Locations Prohibited (43 CFR §7.18)