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wickiup in comparison to those found at lower elevations in the pinyon/juniper habitat, <br />however, not so in comparison to other aspen -pole wickiups in the Rocky Mountains. The <br />interior of the shelter measures 2.3m by 3. lm in diameter, with a resultant floor area of <br />approximately 5.6m2. <br />Interestingly, the upper tip of one of the poles—Pole #2—has been completely encased <br />by new growth of the aspen support tree where the pole rests in a fork of the tree. The base <br />of the pole has deteriorated and broken away, leaving the pole base suspended in the air <br />approximately 50cm above the present ground surface. <br />Feature 2, located 20m southwest of Feature 1, consists of what appears to be a cache <br />of three serviceberry poles leaned into the west-southwest side of a live serviceberry bush. <br />The poles rest side-by-side where they lean against the support bush, and do not appear to <br />have come to rest there without a human agent. They range in length from 2.6 to 4.6m, with <br />mid-pole diameters of 5 to 8cm. Individual serviceberry trunks or limbs have been known to <br />live for over 50 years, and clumps of such presumably can survive longer. The wood is one <br />of the few hardwoods found in the area, and the branches are known to have been utilized for <br />making tools by Native Americans including digging sticks and arrow shafts. This is the first <br />wooden feature known to the Colorado Wickiup Project (2003-2013) made of serviceberry. <br />Evaluation and Management Recommendations <br />Based on the apparent soil depth, and other documented archaeological sites in the <br />area, subsurface deposits are considered likely in the site area. Accordingly, the site is field <br />evaluated as need data. Testing is recommended to make a final determination of eligibility. <br />The site may be affected by any surface disturbing activities. <br />Site 5MF7692, an historic Native American open architectural site, is located at the <br />head of a broad, grassy drainage that flows northerly, at an elevation of 7650 feet. The <br />surrounding hills and ridges are vegetated with dense serviceberry and Gambel oak, with an <br />understory of buckbrush, some sagebrush, mules ears, yarrow, lupine, mint, wild rose, and <br />grasses. The site itself is situated within an aspen grove that is mostly dead or dying. The <br />nearest source of permanent water is an unnamed blueline drainage located 900 meters to the <br />northwest of the site. The site is underlain by Cretaceous age sandstone, shale, and major <br />coal beds of the Williams Fork formation. Soil on the site is medium to dark brown clay <br />loam with a depth of up to 40 inches. The soil, Winevada-Spiltro complex, is found on <br />plateaus and mountainsides, is well drained, and formed from residuum derived from <br />sandstone (USDA NRCS 2004). The site measures 65 by 40 meters. <br />The site consists of three apparent aboriginal wooden features. All three of the <br />wooden features consist of aspen trunks that have been leaned onto the trunks and branches <br />of still standing aspen trees. These two- to five -pole "leaners" have been designated as <br />"utility poles' —features common on protohistoric and early history Numic sites that were <br />used for a variety of purposes ranging from animal hide treatment, to jerking meat, to <br />FZI <br />