PERMFILE53376 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

have been buried or destroyed by various processes of natural erosion through the millenia. Human intervention, past and recent, cannot be ruled out either as effective modifiers of the cultural record. Inter- pretations of past patterns of settlement and subsistence are hampered by these natural and cultural "transforms" (Schiffer 1976). Compounding the problem is the fact that only a very small percentage of the land area in northo:estern Colorado has been intensively investigated. Such "holes" in the data base impede efforts to derive synthetic statements about the regional culture history. Nevertheless, enough work has been completed that at least a frame- work, however meager, can be constructed. The framework can be augmen- ted, modified, or discarded as new data are found. It provides direc- tion to research and reduces theoretical floundering. Such a framework is presented below. 2.3.2 Regional Chronology Figure 2.2 is a suggested chronological framework for north- western Colorado. The prehistoric portion of the chart is composed of two temporal sequences, Northwestern Plains and Northern Colorado Pla- teau, inasmuch as previous archaeological research suggests that this area was influenced to a greater or lesser degree by these regions where the culture history has been well-studied. It is very likely that an indigenous prehistoric population lived in the area. However, distin- guishing cultural elements unique to these supposed local groups from • those borrov,ed from their neighbors has been difficult. The historic, Euroamerican presence is better documented due to the availability of o-rritten records. Such records are not always complete or accurate, however, and archaeology can provide unexpected insights. Brief discussions of the major cultural periods are presented below. Since recorded prehistoric sites in the project area are mostly lithic scatters, presently undated (see Section 4.0 below), detailed descriptions of each period are not warranted. The reader is referred to Gordon, et al. (1982) for such a comprehensive overview. P-core infor- mation on the local history is presented due to the availability of published and unpublished written records and information gathered from local residents. 2.3.2.1 Prehistory The Paleoindian Period or Tradition is generally recog- nized as the earliest recorded cultural complex in western North America. The possibility of an earlier, Pre-Projectile Point Stage has been suggested (Krieger 1962), but the concept is controversial. In fact; Sharrock (1966:158) has concluded that this stage does not exist-- at least, that is, in his research area of southwestern Wyoming. Limit- ed evidence from the Green River draihage of southwestern Wyoming (Day and Dibble 1963; Jennings 1978) and Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah (Jennings 1978) do suggest a pre-Paleoindian horizon but that conclusion • is still very tenuous. 10