2018-01-03_PERMIT FILE - C1981010 (5)

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Express Pipeline, and Uinta Basin Lateral Projects Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado, and Sweetwater County, Wyoming, Volume 2, (Metcalf and Reed, ed. 2011), and in the Archaeological Monitoring and Data Retrieval for the Collbran Pipeline Project (Conner et al. 2014). Discussed therein are manifestations of the Paleoindian Era big -game hunting peoples (ca. 11,500 - 6400 BC); Foothill -Mountain Tradition (ca. 9500-6500 BC); Paleoarchaic transition period (ca. 7500-5500 BC); the Archaic Era (Early, Middle, Late) hunter/gatherer groups (ca. 6500 - 400 BC); the Formative Era horticulturalist/ forager (Fremont, Anasazi, Avonlea) cultures (ca. 400 BC- AD 1300); the Early Numic and Athabaskan hunter/gatherers (ca. AD 1300 - AD 1650); and, the early historic horse -riding nomads (Late Numic, Athabaskan, Plains cultures) ca. AD 1650 - AD 1920). Historic records suggest occupation or use of the region by EuroAmerican trappers, settlers, miners, and ranchers as well. An overview of the history of the region is provided in the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists' publication entitled Colorado History: A Context for Historical Archaeology (Church et al. 2007). 6.0 TEST EXCAVATION PROCEDURES In accordance with the Proposed Scope of Work for Testing and Evaluation of the Cultural Resource Sites submitted to Trapper and the BLM in July of 2015, the tests to be conducted at the six sites are listed in Table 1. These tests were designed to derive sufficient information to make final determinations of eligibility. Accordingly, an archaeological crew from GRI conducted test excavations at the sites between July and October of 2015. Table 1. Proposed scope of test excavation procedures per site. Site # Site Type Proposed Scope of Work 5MF319 Historic Habitation (1) Excavate 50cm-wide test trench on interior of foundation 2 Series of shovel and auger. tests in search of privy/other features (1) Metal detect entire site Aboriginal Wooden (2) Shovel and auger tests to determine vertical extent and nature of sub- 5MF7691 Features surface deposits and to search for thermal features (3) Based on results of #2, excavate 50cm-wide grid units as warranted 4 Procure dendrochronology samples from support trees (1) Metal detect entire site Aboriginal Wooden (2) Shovel and auger tests to determine vertical extent and nature of sub- 5MF7692 Features with Historic surface deposits and to search for thermal features Component (3) Based on results of #2, excavate 50cm-wide grid units as warranted 4 Procure dendrochronology samples from support trees (1) Remove vegetation to facilitate photography of Feature 1 (2) Remove top soil at Feature 1 in series of 25cm and 50cm-wide Prehistoric Cobble trenches in search of additional, buried, cobbles in order to ascertain 5MF7727 Features feature purpose (tipi ring? astronomical observatory? vision quest circle?) (3) Series of overhead and view -shed photographs using painter's pole and colored bean bags on cobbles 4 Construct polar coordinate map of Feature 1 2