14. The Curecanti Archeological Project: 1981 Investigations
in Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado.
Jones, Bruce A.
The 1981 Center investigations in Curecanti National Recreation Area,
western Colorado included construction-related archeological evaluation and
mitigation at 13 sites in the Gunnison River Valley. Two of the 13 sites,
5GN41 and 5GN222, contained proto-historic or historic Indian components.
However, as in previous work in the park, most of the archeological remains
examined in Curecanti in 1981 also contained earlier components, and thus
reflected prehistoric aboriginal occupation and use of the area. Assay of
radiocarbon data recovered from Curecanti in 1981 generated ages ranging
±70 to 7684
±110 years B.P. However, many of the
Curecanti dates continue to fall between 5,000 and 7,000 B.P., suggesting
more intensive occupation of the valley during that time.
Data recovered from the park in 1981 continued to suggest that the
archeology represented debris generated by a series of seasonal but
relatively stable, long-lived hunting and gathering adaptations. Abundant
chipped stone tools and tool fragments were collected which document a
major bifacial tool industry. Ground stone implements found at several of
the sites indicate the importance of collected wild plant foods.
Associated palynological data suggest an aboriginal collection strategy
which entailed the exploitation of a wide variety of seasonally available
plant resources instead of an economy which emphasized only one or two
Finally, the 1981 data from the park appear to document an aboriginal
settlement pattern which involved seasonal occupation of base camps at the
mouths of streams tributary to the Gunnison. These sites, which appear to
have had repeated use, often over several millenia, may have facilitated
small hunting and gathering expeditions away from the river and into the
higher elevations such as the West Elk Mountains to the north of the park.
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