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• SL~~A'@.RY <br />Mitigative excavations and monitoring of topsail removal at SFfP139 in <br />Routt County, Colorado, has resulted in the exposure of 21 cultural <br />features and a snail lithic assemblage. On the basis of distinctive <br />morphological characteristics these features have been defined as <br />firehearths. The general scarcity of rharWal in these hearths, rather <br />than ~ntravening the definition, suggests that small brush sudz as <br />sagebrush was used as fuel. The frequent occurrence of fire-cracked <br />and/or fire-reddened wbbles surrounding the hearths indicates that <br />these stones were used as a source of heating for cooking. Heating <br />usually fractured the stones to the extent that their utility was <br />diminished and required that the pit be cleaned out. <br />The lithic assemblage is dominated by debitage or unmodified flakes. <br />• PSany of the stone pieces evidence such signs of•thermal treatment as <br />shattering, crazing, or potlid fracturing. This observation suggests <br />an additional function of the hearths but it is not assumed to be <br />primary. Tools recovered during excavations consist of three utilized <br />flakes and one biface or projectile point fragment. ~ of the three <br />utilized flakes reveal unifacial wear patterns that are indicative of <br />scraping activities; the third flake is more multipurpose, manifesting <br />two loci of unifacial wear and one bifacially worked (crashed) edge. <br />The lithic evidence denotes the occurrence of at least two additional <br />activities at SIS139, tool manufacture/maintenance and food preparation. <br />Nine charcoal samples were recovered for radiocarbon determinations. <br />Apparent ~nta<nination by a modern brush fire did result in a recent <br />age assessment for six of the samples but prehistoric dates were obtained <br />for three samples. Tao firehearths were dated at 6430 B.P. and 5900 B.P., <br />respectively; a third date of 1130 B.P. is questionable because of its <br />• singular disagreement with the other dates. Occupation of SRT139 <br />57 <br />