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Class /ll Cuhural Resource <br />prehistoric site requires that the site contain intact cultural deposits or discrete activity <br />• areas that can be securely associated with a temporal period or discrete cultural group. <br />The potential for intact deposits or cultural/temporal associations may be inferred from <br />surface evidence of cultural features or undisturbed Holocene deposits, and the presence <br />of temporally or culturally diagnostic artifacts. Historic resources may be evaluated <br />under any of the Criteria. I lowever, in the absence of structural features or documented <br />association with significant historic events or the important contributions of persons <br />significant in history, historical resources more than 50 years old aze evaluated under <br />essentially the same criteria as prehistoric resources. <br />Prehistoric resources must also be assessed in terms of being contributing resources for <br />the proposed Lorencito Canyon Rural Historic Landscape (LCRHL). The nomination of <br />this area as a National Register district is described in McKibbin et al (2001) with a main <br />theme relating to the intense procurement and processing of plant resources, specifically <br />r'' pinon nuts, acorns, or both. McKibbin et al (2001:36) describes two main questions that <br />form the bases of consideration for nominating a site as a contributing resource to the <br />district. Does the artifact assemblage indicate the main activities of the site are related to <br />the procurement and processing of pinon nuts and acoms? The presence of ground stone <br />supports this claim, especially in quantities that are disproportionately abundant. <br />Secondly, is there sufficient recoverable information to allow site function to be <br />adequately understood? The support for the second criteria is less specific but relates to <br />density of artifacts because of the marginal potential of sites with minimal cultural <br />_ remains to provide adequate interpretation of the site's activities. A certain level of <br />`. confidence in the interpretation is required which is based on quantity or density of <br />cultural materials. <br />Based on information available from files searches and previous research experience in <br />the area, Greystone anticipated that prehistoric and historic cultural resources would be <br />confined to the valley bottoms and to level to gently sloping benches overlooking the <br />valleys. Greystone anticipated finding primarily small to moderate sized lithic scatters <br />and isolated historic artifacts in the project area. <br />FIELD METHODS <br />The contour cut, pond, and fill areas were inventoried by pedestrian survey using parallel <br />. pedestrian transects approximately 12 to I S meters apart on level to gently sloping <br />benches and slopes up to approximately 20% slopes. Steeper slopes were inventoried by <br />parallel pedestrian Uansects approximately 20-30 meters apart following the slope <br />contours. Surface visibility was excellent throughout most of the project area, exceptions <br />being on some steep slopes with heavy Gambel oak coverage. Nevertheless, special <br />attention was given to areas of etthanced subsurface visibility such as erosion cuts, road <br />cuts and vehicle ruts, anthills, and the backdirt of animal burrows. Sites were recorded <br />by completing the necessary Colorado Resource Forms, photographs were taken, site <br />map drawn, and datum placed on site using a PVC pipe with a metal tag specifying the <br />temporary number. <br />r1 <br />LJ <br />9 <br />