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pother question that has been raised in the literature is the presence of Paleo-L~dian . material in northwestern Colorado. Paleo-Indian projectile points have been discovered, and one Paleo-Indian site (SRT139) was identified on a survey very close to the Yoast Lease area (11'heeler 1980). During testing of SP.T139, additional diagnostics of the Paleo-Indian technocomplex (Hand 19"oD) and subsurface deoosits were discovered. archaic and some Late Prehistoric components ~.vere also identified. Buckles (19ii) considers reuse of Paleo-Indian artifacts a characteristic of an archaic complex on the U nco~npal~gre Plateau. Surface finds can then be interpreted either as evidence of archaic transport or evidence of Paleo-Indian occ~~pation. The question of which interpretation is correct can only be resolved by the recovery of Paleo-Indian material in a stratigraphic context, either as a portion of an Archaic assn m blage, or as a definite Paleo-Indian occupation. The literature review has identified a number of archaeological investigations relevant to the project area, each with a different research orientation. Several avenues of research leave been identified, but a comprehensive understanding of Northwestern Colorado is lacking at this time. Since the region lacks a comprehensive research framework and corresponding fieldwork, it is not possible to make a predictive statement of what one • would expect to encounter within the project area, nor was it possible to pose detailed formal hypotheses prior to the survey. Fieldwork was initiated with the hope of adding to the regional data base, and of addressing the above rese;ircli questions in general terms. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SEQUENCE The project area is located between the Plains to file east, the Great Basin to the west, the Wyoming Basin to the north, and the Southwest to the south. It is clear from archaeological data that these regions have witnessed a long and varied sequence of human occupation and utilization. Sites in northwestern Colorado are likely to exhibit affinities with sites from the Plains, the Great Basin, and the Wyoming Basin. The cultural sequence for northwestern Colorado outlined below acid summarized in Table 3, incorporates data from these three regions. The sequence has been divided into several traditions, each exhibiting characteristic assemblages of artifacts, settlement patterns, and subsistence pursuits. Whether or not these cultural stages are directly ancestral to one another is almost impossible to determine, at least on the basis of current archaeological data. 14 -