PERMFILE119931

• Permit No: C1996084
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 8/2/2001
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 05 Cultural Resources Report 3
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

z2
• Canyon. The intermittent stream which drains Lorencito and Jeff Canyons empties into the
Purgatoire River 1200' to the east and downriver. The site is situated in an irrigated, cultivated field
and only three flakes and a biface fragment were visible on the surface in rodent disturbances.
Because of the high potential for subsurface cultural materials, forty-four auger probes were
excavated parallel to the proposed rail spur alignment on its east side through the site. The probes
extended to depths between 78 and 105 cmbs. Nine flakes, some unbumt bone fragments, and
scattered charcoal were recovered from these probes. Some diversity is present in the lithics, and
raw materials include felsite, chert, and quartzite. The artifacts on the southern edge of the area lie
at the base of the terrace on which SLA7186 is located and appears to be secondary deposits from
the sloughing off of the terrace. The other positive probes are very sparse and there is nothing in the
soil profiles of the auger probes to suggest an intact cultural level. The unbumt bone does not
exhibit any indication of being cultural in origin.
SLA7482 lies on the Purgatoire River flood plain and testing has demonstrated that although
sparse buried cultural materials are present it is likely that they are either in secondary contexts or
not associated with an intact cultural horizon. This site is recommended as not eligible to the
National Register. No further work is necessary.
SLA7727 (MM-4826): This small prehistoric site was recorded during the inventory of P3
portal power line survey. The site is a very low density lithic scatter with a hearth eroding out
alongside atwo-track. [t is located on a small terrace overlooking Cow Canyon Creek to the north.
• The terrace is cut into by a two-track access road which has exposed the hearth, a felsite flake
fragment, and a felsite utilized flake. An intensive look at the road cut failed to find more cultural
material, but several small charcoal pieces were identified. The hearth is composed of 22 pieces of
sandstone FCR in a roughly circular pattern gradually spreading outward, losing coherency east to
west. Soil is an alluvial gravelly loam with cutbanks revealing depth of up to one meter. On-site
vegetation consists primarily of low sagebrush ,Scotch thistle, grasses, a berry producing shrub, and
a lone oakbrush.
The deposits on the site were tested for subsurface cultural materials with two shovel probes
placed five meters apart. The probes were excavated to 34 and 30 cmbs. Charcoal was recovered
in the upper 10 cm of SP # 1. No artifacts were recovered in either shovel probe.
The site falls within the LCRHL and is recommended to be non-contributing to the
significance of thedistrict. It includes few cultural materials (16 flakes and four chipped stone tools)
and no ground stone artifacts and does not appear to reflect activities related to the procurement and
initial processing of pinon nut and atoms. It has an extremely sparse artifact inventory and there is
no evidence of additional subsurface remains. It has been impacted by several forces and lacks the
necessary physical integrity. The hearth feature does not contain sufficient datable material to enable
the site to be placed in a historical context. No further work is recommended.
• SLA7728 (MM-4827): This prehistoric site was recorded in 1997 during the inventory of
P3 portal power line survey. It is located on the edge of the survey corridor and does not appear to
be in a location that will be impacted by the power line construction. The site is a moderate density