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the Northwestern Plains, persisted in hunting and gathering (here la- belled Late Prehistoric) until European contact. On the Northern Colorado Plateau, the Formative Period is repre- sented by the Fremont Cultures. Uinta is the Fremont regional variant (Ma nvitt 1970) in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. It is a recognizable entity by approximately A.D. 500 and persists until about A.D. 1050 (Jennings 1978). It is known that the Uinta variant of northwestern Colorado has more Plains influence than the Fremont further south and west. Subsis- tence for the Uinta Fremont was derived primarily from the hunting of large game animals (primarily mule deer) with minor dependence upon horticulture. A distinctive ceramic type (Uinta Gray) and rock art style distinguish this from other Fremont variants but just how much interaction actually existed with Fremont of this area and those further west is unknown. Fremont villages of the Uinta variant are primarily found in the Uinta Basin at the base of the Uinta Mountains and along the Yampa and Green Rivers in and near Dinosaur National Monument. Evidence for Fremont occupation (granaries, rock art) also exists further south and east especially in the Blue Mountain area and along Douglas Creek (Nenger 1955; Creasman 1981). Further east than Douglas Creek, however, the only evidence for Formative people are minor amounts of ceramics and projectile point types generally believed to be similar to Fremont types (Kranzush 1982). So, although references are frequent- ly made that the Fremont extended as far as Craig (Creasman 1981) and into the Danforth Hills (Jennings and Sullivan 1977; Kranzush 1982) the evidence is actually very sparse. It appears that the Danforth Hills/ Axial Basin area may have been utilized by the far reaching Fremont for hunting and gathering only, especially as the evidence for horticulture apparently ends in Douglas Creek. The Fremont are noted for extensive forays outside the main area of occupation as isolated ceramics and projectile points have been noted west and northwest of the Fremont occupation in Utah (Jennings 1978). Following the Formative Period the inhabitants of northwestern Colorado reverted to an Archaic hunting and gathering way of life--if, indeed, they had ever left it. This time, however, an apparently new group of inhabitants arrive on the Colorado Plateau from southern California and northern Mexico at about AD 1300 (Grady 1984; Jennings 1978). They are known as the Numic speakers and include the Shoshone and Ute; the latter were present in northwestern Colorado when the Europeans arrived. Evidence for Numic sites is limited to small surface scatters generally identified by the distinctive pottery and projectile points. Actual controlled excavations and dates from Numic sites are extremely limited and, therefore, a more complete understanding of the Numic occupants of northwestern Colorado is tenuous. Historically the Shoshone were known to have inhabited the area north of the Yampa River, while the Ute inhabited the area to the south. The Comanche were also known to have inhabited northern Colorado but • with the introduction of the horse around AD 1700 they moved out onto the Plains. The introduction of the horse also dramatically changed the lifestyle of the Ute allowing them to venture as far as the Plains for 13