Laserfiche WebLink
L <br />A radiocarbon record of occupation for the central mountain region is derived from <br />the excavatiat of 25 sites in the Curecanti National Recreation Arca. The investigations <br />resulted in 66 radiocarbon dates that indicate a nearly continuous occupation of the <br />Gunnison Basin for the past 10,000 years. Three periods of possible higher frequency of <br />' occupation occttrrcd bet~vicen about 5500-4000 B.C., 3700-800 Q.C., and 6~0 B.C. - A.D. <br />150. The highest frequency of dates occur ca. 4000 Q.C. (Jones 1984:19-21). <br />Within the BLM Grand Junctiat Resource Area, 123 radiocarbon dates from 35 <br />tested and excavated sites indicate that clusters occur ca. 7200-5600 B.C., 4300-3300 Q.C., <br />3200-1000 B.C., and 900 B.C -1800 A.D. (O'Neil 1993293). The earlier dates arc low in <br />occurrence as compared wish [he mountain regions, and the long hiatus between X600 Q.C. <br />and 4300 B.C. may be directly linked to the affects of the Altitherntal. <br />Paleolndian Tradition <br />The oldest evidence of human occupation is provided by surface finds of diagnostic <br />artifacts of the Paleolndian "tradition that date ca. 9300-6000 B.C. This Tradition is <br />characterized by lanceolate- and leaf-shaped, bifacially Oakcd, Muted and unFluted projectile <br />points, and the hunting ofnow-extinct Pleistocene megatauna. Sites and isolated finds of <br />• diagnostic artifacts arc recorded throughout the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin (Schroedl <br />1991:1-I5). In the central nwuntains oFColorado, surface linds ofClovis, Folsom, Hell <br />Gap/Agate Basin, Cody Complex, and James Allen points on sites and as isolated finds <br />indicate that the entire Paleolndian period is represented here (Baker et al. 1980: Stiger, <br />personal communication). Surface finds of Folsom points are reported in ~vcstem Colorado <br />by Wormington (1955:120), Huscher (1939), and I-lurst (1942). West of the project area, <br />fluted projectile points have been recorded as isolated finds and in a site context in Grand <br />County, Utah (Copeland and Fike 1988:-28). The Cody Complex is the last Paleolndian <br />tool assemblage found on a wide-spread basis throughout North America. The Plano period <br />(late Paleolndian) assemblages that include James Allen/FrcdericlJLusk point types probably <br />represent remnant Paleolndian populations that existed along side the Carly Archaic <br />Tradition. The James Allen point is the most commonly lound Paleolndian type in the <br />Gwmison area (Stiger, personal communication 1990). In general, data From excavated <br />Paleolndian sifts arc scant for the western Colorado region; however, same of the oldest <br />radiocarbon dates for the state (I 1,79011700 B.P. and 14,4871610 B.P.) have been acquired <br />li-om Gunnison County site SGN 189 (Mueller and Stiger 1983). A hearth dated 97911830 <br />B.P. at SGN205 is considered to be Folsom (Carty Paleolndian) in origin (Cuter and Stiger, <br />1981:42,9). In adjacent Chaffee County, site SCF358 yielded a Milnesand Point t}om <br />Component I (dated ca. 10,000-9500 B.P.), a Paleolndian occupation preserved within 40 <br />centimeters below present ground surface (Black 1986:91). <br /> <br />6 <br />