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(..._ ~II II~~I~III~~~~ ~II 999 November 4, 1997 RECE11~~(1 Nnv 0 7 1997 BNiSiN!I Pf ~~.nPrals h l~rnla.y ,` Ms. Lavern Lemay Minerals Program Assistant of The State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 Deaz Ms. Lernay: M~~ ~-°~F I am an azchaeologist who has worked professionally i~ Montezuma County, Colorado since 1969. I earned my Ph.D. from Cambridge University and served as Senior Research Archaeologist for Crow Canyon Archaeological Center for many years. I have also served as the president of the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists. Yesterday, as a private citizen, I walked over the location of a proposed gravel mine known as the Stone Pit that is located at or neaz Sections 12 and 13, Tier 36 North, Range 17 West, New Mexico (10~') Principal Meridian. I walked over what I believe to be zones marked I, II, III, and IV on the Pre-mining Map. On these zones, especially on Zones II, III, and possibly IV, I witnessed significant indications of prehistoric inhabitation. A rather large site is indicated and from the pottery sherds found on the surface it would indicate inhabitation in the periods 1050-1140 AD. Some pottery samples also indicate a much earlier occupation of the site. I also identified lithic scatter indicating tool-making activities on the site. Unfortunately, within the past six month or so, someone has driven a bulldozer over one part of this section and damaged the surface of the original midden azea. The midden azea is where most artifacts aze present and it is also the azea most commonly associated with burial of human remains. Test pit excavations were dug just a few yards west of the site area. This section deserves preservation, or studied excavation, before any surface mining activities can be allowed. .-i~,k;~