2008-03-03_PERMIT FILE - C2006085 (32)

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• Formation is composed of Arkosic sandstone, siltstone, and shale. To the south is Vermejo Formation, consisting of sandstone, shale, and coal beds, and Trinidad Sandstone, both Cretaceous in age (Tweto 1979). Surface sediments consist of medium-grained sand, alluvium on the floor of the canyon along the floodplain of Chandler Creek, with a colluvial apron spread atop the alluvial sands near the base of the talus slopes. Numerous and unsorted gravels, cobbles, and some boulders in the floodplain indicate high-energy flow, which is not conducive to preservation of archaeological deposits. Vegetation in the area is various bunch grasses on the flats with open pinyon/juniper woodlands on the slopes of the ridges. Other vegetation includes cholla and prickly pear cacti, scrub oak and mountain mahogany on the slopes, and various fortis. Ground visibility in the area is fair between 30-50%. Culture History and Previous Work Culture History Prehistoric Overview The current project area is located within the newly defined Arkansas River basin • prehistoric context, which encompasses all of southeastern Colorado (Zier and Kalasz 1999). The prehistory of this area is briefly summarized here; the reader is referred to Zier and Kalasz (1999) for more detail. The prehistory of the Arkansas River basin context area is divided into three major stages, the Paleoindian Stage (>11,500 to 7,800 BP), the Archaic Stage (7,800 to 1,850 BP), and the Late Prehistoric Stage (1,850 to 225 BP). Each of these stages is further subdivided into periods, with another subdivision into phases within the Diversification Period of the Late Prehistoric Stage. The Paleoindian Stage is divided into four periods, including the Pre-Clovis Period (>11,500 BP), the Clovis Period (11,500 to 10,950 BP), the Folsom Period (10,950 to 10,250 BP), and the Plano Period (10,250 to 7,800 BP). Evidence for the Paleoindian periods in the context area is scant, becoming more common later in time. This stage is characterized by small, mobile populations utilizing a distinct stone tool technology. Projectile points are generally large, lanceolate, and well-made. The styles become more region-specific through time. Lithic materials used tend to be high-quality silicates, often from long-distance sources, suggesting either trade networks or extensive migration through the regions. While the Paleoindian Stage is often associated with big-game hunters, a result of better archaeological preservation and visibility of kill-sites as opposed to campsites, the evidence indicates the people were generalists in their hunting strategies, with increasing emphasis on large game, particularly bison, by the •