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<br />The Step 1 test excavation program will consist of the following <br />listed and very routine tasks. The work will he conducted by qualified <br />personnel according to standards of research established by the Society <br />of Professional Archaeologists and the Colorado Council of Professional <br />Archaeologists. The research will be geared to the collection and <br />synthesis of baseline prehistoric cultural and environmental data for <br />West Central Colorado in hopes of helping to resolve basic reseach <br />problems involved in the archaeology of the North fork Valley. These <br />have been outlined by Reed (1984) and are reprinted after the outline of <br />the basic tasks involved in the test program. Such tasks have been <br />routine in the excavation of other rock shelters in the region (Reed and <br />Nickens 1980; Gooding and Shields 1985; Wormington and Lister 1956, <br />Buckles 1971). <br />Tasks in Test Programs <br />1. Establish horizontal and vertical excavation controlls. <br />2. Completely excavate 4 to 6 one meter square test units by <br />natural and/or stratigraphic methods. <br />3. Screen fill from test squares through # inch, ~ inch or other <br />mesh screens as appropriate. <br />4. Collect carbon, bulk soil, pollen and other pertinent <br />scientific samples. <br />5. If the excavations are positive, then it will be necessary to <br />formally map the rock shelter, the archaeological tests and <br />features. <br />6. Submit the scientific samples for analysis to appropriate <br />laboratories. <br />7. Conduct appropriate analysis of excavated cultural and/or <br />environmental materials. <br />8. Prepare a final mitigation planning report if the tests were <br />positive and a final negative declaration if the test program <br />had negative findings. <br />9. Prepare a final report on the excavations whether positive or <br />negative. If final mitigation is to be undertaken in the near <br />future, then the analytical results of the test excavation <br />program can be integrated in the final mitigation report after <br />being initially reported in the mitigation planning report. <br />As outlined by Reed (1984), the general research problems in the <br />prehistoric context of West Central Colorado include the following: <br />-8- <br />