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(i <br />an elevation of 1,658 m (5,440 ft.) and covers an area of 824 m2. Vegetation within <br />the site area consists of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, greasewood, and prickly pear. Soil <br />deposition appears to be substantial, possibly exceeding 40 or 50 cm. <br />~ Cultural materials observed on the site include nine flakes, one biface frag- <br />ment, and a metate. The biface and most of the debitage are chert. In addition, <br />several fragments of reddened rock were noted that may be 5re-cracked rock. The <br />site may represent ashort-term campsite. <br />Site SRB3451 appears to have some research potential. Though small and <br />rather sparse, the assemblage suggests that the site served as something more than <br />an ephemeral stopover or chipping station. The site may represent ashort-term <br />camp where lithic reduction, floral processing, and possibly other tasks were per- <br />formed. The physiographic position of the site seems favorable for the gentle <br />accumulation of deposits necessary for preservation of cultural features. The <br />presence of soil deposits up to 50 cm deep on the site suggests that they may harbor <br />Intact cultural deposits. The site may have the potential to yield data concerning <br />aboriginal technology, chronology, subsistence, site function, and settlement pat- <br />terns. For these reasons, site SRB3451 is evaluated as eligible for nomination to the <br />National Register of Historic Places under criterion "d". <br />It is recommended that site SRB3451 be avoided and protected. If threat- <br />ened by ground-disturbing activity, it is recommended that data recovery be <br />undertaken at the site. Minimally, this might consist of perhaps two initial test units <br />and some shovel robes to determine the presence or absence of buried cultural <br />materials. If positive, this effort should be followed by mitigative excavation to <br />recover the subsurface data offered by the site. <br />Isolated Finds <br />SRB3452: One large chert corner-notched projectile point fragment, proba- <br />' bly representing a hunting episode, was collected on a ridge sideslope (Figure 5). <br />The point can probably be characterized as an Elko Corner-notched type and hence <br />[ , is of little value as a temporal indicator (Holmer 1978, 1986). <br />~' SRB3453: One chert flake was found adjacent to a small drainage between <br />two ridges. <br />5RB3454: One chert flake was found on a ridge slope. <br />~ ! All of the isolated finds described above are ineligible to the National Regis- <br />ter of Historic Places. They require no further archaeological treatment or consid- <br />L, eration. <br />Lt 8.0 CONCLUSIONS <br />Literature reviews, site file searches, and an intensive pedestrian inventory <br />' were conducted fora 360-acre coal lease at the Deserado Mme in Rio Blanco <br />~ County, Colorado. The site file searches revealed no previously documented cultur- <br />al resources within the project area. The survey of the project area yielded a single <br />prehistoric site, SRB3451, and three prehistoric isolated finds. Site SRB3451 is <br />evaluated as eligible to the National Register of Historic Places; management <br />recommendations have been discussed in the previous section. <br />' 11 <br />