Laserfiche WebLink
:e earliest remains discovered in the area consisted of an isolated Elko eared projectile <br />point. tVoodland and Late Fremont-like material was recovered, as was Desert Archaic <br />and/or Plains side-notched material. <br />Common factors in site variability were found to be proximity to water and smallness of <br />sites. The latter probably indicates short-term occupation. The most abundant and most <br />heavily utilized material was discovered at pass and saddle locations. Least likely areas <br />for sites were found to be north-facing slopes with a 5090 or greater grade and <br />homogeneous topography. Due to the relative ease of travel, it is possible the Yampa <br />Basin was a route bet~.veen, or an area of cultural contact between the Great Basin and <br />the Plains. <br />Foster (1976) recorded two short-term hunting or migration campsites in the Routt <br />National Forest north of Steamboat Springs. A Late iVoodland projectile point and a <br />probable Ute potsherd of protohistoric to historic age'were recovered. No sites were <br />discovered in forested areas. <br />McNamara (1978) reports on coal lease surveys about 9.S miles to the southeast of the <br />project area (Flap 1). One aboriginal site and two isolated finds were recorded. No <br />diagnostic material was located. Tile Trout Creek area is characterized as exhibiting a <br />general oaur_ity of cultural resources. This is attributed to the presence of snore <br />favorable locations elsewhere or the presence of heavy ground cover which may obscure <br />the sites in McNamara's survey area. <br />Kranzush and Gordon (n.d.) recorded 5RT118, a rock art and possible rock shelter site <br />just to the west of the project area :vithin the buffer zone of the Seneca II-W Mine of <br />Seneca Coals ('.11ap 1). The rock art is provisionally identified as Ute. <br />To summarize this previous research, materiai from the Archaic through protohistoric or <br />historic periods has been recovered from the vicinity of the survey area. Sites consist of <br />open camps, lithic workshops, and rock shelter/rock art locations, generally located near <br />passes or saddles, sage flats above drainages, or in shelters above drainages. North- <br />facing slopes generally lack aboriginal occupations. Proximity to water appears to be a <br />controlling factor in site location. Furthermore, material from the Plains and the Great <br />Basin has been recorded, indicating that the Yampa Basin saw utilization by groups from <br />both areas, and may be a major route between the two areas. <br />12 <br />