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<br />'the Archaic and early Ute, or that they were occupied on an <br />episodic basis by specialized task groups, such as might be <br />expected from the rr^ormative (Fremont and Anasazi) Cultures, <br />who transported procured resources to a residential bases <br />located elsewhere. ?iowever, it is known that groups from both <br />the aforementioned r^^ormative Cultures practiced a broad based <br />foraging strategy implying a pattern of transhumance may not <br />be distinguishable between them and the Archaic/Ute. <br />The sites were found mainly in the pinyon/juniper <br />vegetated areas along the mesa edges and similarly vegetated <br />drainage bottoms on the mesa top. The term "site", if defined <br />as a "discrete activity area", may not properly be used for <br />those large, usually sparse, distributions of cultural <br />materials because of the complicated overlapping of the <br />detritus of (possibly) several cultural groups, and the <br />natural depositional and post-depositional processes. The <br />cultural materials of at least SMN3760 and SMN3761 were <br />probably continuous, but are subdivided because of disturbance <br />by historical occupants and for topographic reasons. It is <br />apparent that concentrations within the two site may represent <br />discrete activity areas from diverse cultural/temporal <br />periods. Testing is required to interpret the finds. <br />• It is clear from the mapping currently completed that <br />specialized activity areas can be identified. The information <br />drawn from this site-based perspective may allow <br />archaeologists to differentiate the nature of the activities <br />that took place at residential campsites verses limited <br />activity sites and to make inferences about the <br />settlement/subsistence patterns of the Archaic, Formative and <br />early Utes in this region. By defining a set of <br />characteristics that identify these cultural phenomenon, <br />archaeologists will be able to recognize it in diverse <br />environmental or site-based contexts although some elements <br />may be absent. <br />Most of the sites apparently have little or no depth of <br />cultural fill due to their location on rocky ground surfaces <br />that are characterized as having low, water permeability and <br />rapid runoff. In most cases, mapping, photographing, and <br />surface collecting of the diagnostics will preserve the <br />essential data from the sites. Testing of the hearth features <br />will provide some additional information, but most are <br />surficial and will not yield carbon samples. Localities <br />within a few of the sites have potential for depth of cultural <br />fill and selective testing of those areas should be conducted. <br />If significant depth of cultural fill is encountered, the <br />• sites should be subject to additional excavation within the <br />19 <br />