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1984; Grady 1984). The Historic period is defined by <br />contact with Euro-Americans, after ca. A.D. 1540, and can <br />be divided into a series of overlapping temporal/socio- <br />economic/political themes. Those themes appropriate for <br />the project area include Early Exploration and the Fur <br />Trade (1764-1876), Native American-Euro-American <br />Interactions (1764 to 1889), Early Transportation and the <br />Railroads (1859 to 1934), Ranching and Farming (1859-1945), <br />Coal Mining (1870 to 1945), and Federal Activity (1889 to <br />1945) (Mehls 1984; Husband 1984). <br />Prehistoric site types known in the region include open <br />lithic scatters and rock shelter camps. Historic sites <br />include homesteads, and the remains of early roads and <br />railroads. Grady's (1980) study of the Piceance Basin <br />demonstrated that seasonal resource use by aboriginal <br />peoples was probably tied to the migration of the mule deer <br />from the lowlands to the uplands. The prehistoric <br />occupation of the study area spans all the developmental <br />stages. The recovery of Cody complex artifacts indicated <br />a Paleo-Indian component at site 5RT139 in the Seneca II <br />mine permit area (Hand 1980). This site also yielded an <br />Archaic component, radiocarbon dated between 4480 and 3950 <br />B.C., and a Formative stage component, radiocarbon dated to <br />A. D. 820 (Tucker 1981). A Late Prehistoric projectile <br />point was found near the Seneca ZI mine at site 5RT487 <br />(Conner and Langlon 1985). Historic sites in the vicinity <br />were related to agricultural activities, probably post- <br />~ dating A.D. 1880 (Wheeler 1980; Killam 1984). <br />The areas inventoried by Powers for the present project <br />consisted of three well pads each 100 ft sq, and short <br />access roads 100 ft in width. In total the survey covered <br />11 acres. <br />The objectives of the Powers investigations were to locate, <br />identify, and evaluate all cultural resources within the <br />parcels surveyed. This was to include the proper <br />recordation of all cultural materials or features, and <br />their assignment, if possible, to functional types and <br />cultural periods. These resources could then be <br />interpreted within the RP3 contexts, and evaluated against <br />the criteria for nomination to the NRHP, as spelled out in <br />36 CFR Part 60.4. If significant sites were thus <br />identified, then recommendations for their future treatment <br />would be offered in this report. <br />Cultural sites were defined as three or more artifacts more <br />than 50 years old located in close proximity to each other <br />(ca. 25 sq m), or the presence of a feature or structure. <br />Isolated finds were to less than three whole cultural items <br />not associated with a feature or structure. <br />