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16 <br />A prehistoric site will be defined as a location where <br />• aboriginal activities are revealed by three or more artifacts <br />in close proximity to each other (ca. 25 sq. m) or the <br />presence of a cultural feature. Historic sites will be <br />noted as evidence of Euro-American activities including <br />_ pieces of three or more industrial items in close proximity <br />to each other, or a cultural feature or structure. Any <br />location where less than three items are found will be <br />recorded as an isolated find. <br />5.2 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES AND EXPECTATIONS <br />The study area consists of about 180 acres in rolling <br />terrain to the south of the Yampa River Valley, near Hayden, <br />Colorado. Previous to this work, the Seneca II mine area, <br />adjacent to the current project, was surveyed in 1979 <br />(Wheeler 1980). This inventory of ca. 3,200 acres resulted <br />in the recordation of only five sites and two isolated <br />finds. One of the sites was historic and four were prehistoric <br />locations. Of the four prehistoric sites, two are camps <br />and two are lithic scatters. Only one of these prehistoric <br />sites can be considered significant, yielding both diagnostic <br />artifacts and radiocarbon dates. The other three prehistoric <br />sites did not have diagnostic artifacts or features. <br />• Based on this previous work, the following hypotheses <br />are posed: <br />- That few or no cultural resources will be found in <br />the project area, because site densities in the vicinity <br />approximate one site per section, and because it is rough <br />terrain, consisting of steep hills, and because previously <br />recorded sites in adjacent areas tended to be found on <br />less steep, flatter terrain. <br />- That if cultural resources are found they will probably <br />be prehistoric isolated finds, since that is what has <br />been commonly found in similar settings in this region. <br />- That if a prehistoric site is found, it will probably <br />be a lithic scatter with no diagnostic artifacts or features, <br />which is the most common site type in the region. <br />5.3 DATA COLLECTION <br />To test these hypotheses the project area will be inventoried <br />by a professional archaeologist walking 30 in interval <br />transacts, where possible. All cultural resources will <br />be properly recorded on the appropriate cultural resource <br />survey forms produced by the Colorado Historical Society. <br />• The information on the forms will include a description <br />of site setting, artifacts, and features. If the materials <br />