Assistant Professor
Dept. of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology,
Utah State University, Old Main 245F, Logan, UT 84341
Phone: 1 - 435 - 797 - 1496 | Email: bpitblado@hass.usu.edu
Office hours: M 1:30-2:30, W 10:00-11:00, Th 1:00-2:00 Fall 2004
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MeChance Gulch
Colorado
Paleoindian Archaeological Site
This
web content is sponsored by the Colorado Historical Society- State
Historic Fund |
|
The Chance Gulch archaeological site (5GN817)
is located on the western slope of the Southern Rocky Mountains
just southeast of Gunnison, Colorado. In 1999, Dr. Bonnie Pitblado
joined the Bureau of Land Management to investigate the Chance Gulch
site. The 1999 testing revealed in situ finds of late Paleoindian
projectile point bases, stone
tools and debitage, groundstone,
and animal bone, all suggestive
of the presence of a buried late Paleoindian camp locality.
Excavations over the next three field seasons, 2000 – 2002 confirmed the presence of a relatively intact late Paleoindian campsite (complete with a large fire-cracked rock feature), confirmed its approximately 8,000-year age, and also revealed several later human occupations, dating from about 4,000 B.P. (e.g., Archaic era projectile points) through the historic era. A particularly intriguing set of finds—seemingly unique in Colorado—is an assemblage of incised stones that dates to between 2,000 and 1,000 B.P. Other anomalous in situ finds post-dating the Paleoindian component at Chance Gulch (but not yet clearly assigned to a chronological period) include a quartz crystal, a fossilized shark’s tooth, and a stone-sphere/Idaho obsidian assemblage. Analysis continues of the more than 10,000 fragments of chipped stone debitage recovered at Chance Gulch, as well as of other artifacts and features. Excavation and specialized analysis reports completed to date can be accessed by clicking on the “reports” link, above. |
