THE SAN LUIS VALLEY
ARCHAEO-UPDATE
The Bulletin of the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network
Vol. 11, No. 1, JANUARY 2006
Please visit our Website at:
http://www.slvarchnet.org
SLV ARCHAEOLOGICAL NETWORK 2006
ANNUAL MEETING IN MONTE VISTA ON MARCH 4, 2006
Each year we have a meeting aimed at planning upcoming events and activities and to have a general get-together. This year’s
meeting will include a power-point presentation of San Luis Valley Rock Art: A Regional Comparison of Styles. Ken Frye
presented this at the Great Sand Dunes Symposium last October. The meeting will be held on March 4, 2006 at the Rio
Grande National Forest Supervisors Office in Monte Vista. The office is located 1.8 miles west of Monte Vista on the
north side of US Highway 160. The meeting will begin at 2:30 PM and will last until 6:00 PM. All are welcome to
attend. We have several ideas for field trips to view San Luis Valley archaeological sites and several opportunities to do
archaeological investigations. Please bring suggestions if you know of any archaeological sites that you feel would be good to
visit in or out of the SLV. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. For further information please contact Vince Spero
at vspero@peoplepc.com or by telephone at 719-873-5916 (home) or 719-852-6242 (work).
UPCOMING PREHISTORIC CERAMIC DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS CLASS, MARCH 10 TO 12
Next in the series of classes offered in the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification will be Prehistoric Ceramic
Description and Analysis. Taught by Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist, this is a wonderful educational
opportunity for the low cost of $12! This course is an introduction to a major artifact class found in Colorado: ceramics. The
course covers the technology of ceramic manufacture, basic description and analysis, and an introduction to some American
Indian ceramic wares found in the state. For more information about the class content go to: www.coloradohistory-oahp.org
and click on PAAC. Anyone over the age of 15 that is interested in learning more about archaeology, and specifically the
archaeology of Colorado, is invited to attend. To sign up, please contact Loretta Mitson at 719-843-5328 or at:
mitson53@yahoo.com. Please note that class size is limited and the deadline to register is March 5.
RESULTS OF OBSIDIAN TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
Last year the SLV Archaeological Network presented Wade Broadhead, a graduate student at the University of Colorado at
Denver, with a $200 Financial Assistance Award to source several obsidian flakes from a prehistoric site near the town of
La Garita. In addition to having obsidian the site has one of the most westerly occurrences of cord marked pottery in the
United States. The flakes were subjected to trace element analysis in order to help determine the source of the raw material
used to make the artifact. Results of the study were received from the Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Laboratory. By
directly comparing the results of trace element analysis on the analyzed flakes with known regional sources it was
determined that the origin of the obsidian was from known geologic sources in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. The
Jemez Mountains are located in north central New Mexico, to the northwest of Santa Fe. Specific locations were given as
Palvadera Peak and Obsidian Ridge. This implies that the obsidian was either directly obtained from the source by the
inhabitants of the site or there was some kind of trade network in place.
The Far West Site is located in a small meadow in the pinyon and juniper zone near La Garita. Six
cord-marked pottery sherds were
found as were the obsidian flakes
analyzed. Cord-marked pottery is
uncommon in the San Luis
Valley. It is usually associated
with the Great Plains and areas
even further to the east.
According to the obsidian
analysis it is possible that the
people using the cord-marked
pottery were in direct contact
with the Pueblos of northern New
Mexico. A radiocarbon date from
one of the pottery sherds dated to
AD 1,200.
ANTIQUITIES ACT CENTENNIAL: SAN LUIS VALLEY PUBLIC LANDS CENTER EVENT
“Nearly a century ago President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Antiquities Act of 1906. Its passage gave rise to a
host of laws and regulations and became the foundation for public policy and involvement at all levels of government
(Federal, State, Local, Tribal) aimed at preserving that most fragile of resources – America's past. Roosevelt believed aspects
of America, including its history, should be considered "Non noblus solum – Not for ourselves alone," but protected and
preserved for future generations” (from the US Fish and Wildlife Service website)
To celebrate the Antiquities Act Centennial the SLV Public Lands Center (SLV BLM & the Rio Grande National Forest),
along with the SLV Archaeological Network, will sponsor an educational table and exhibit at the Monte Vista Crane Festival
on March 10, 11, and 12. The exhibit will depict important San Luis Valley archaeological sites and the preservation issues
associated with them. There will also be activities for children and adults. Please plan on dropping by the exhibit when you
are at the festival. Location is at the Ski Hi Park on Sherman Avenue in Monte Vista. For more information please visit the
Monte Vista Crane Festival website at http://www.cranefest.com/ or call 719-852-3552.
OLD SPANISH TRAIL MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC SCOPING PERIOD
A management plan for the Old Spanish National Historic Trail is now being prepared by the National Park Service and the
Bureau of Land Management. There will be 120 day public scoping period to solicit public comment on issues, concerns, and
opportunities that should be considered for the management plan. To ensure full local community participation a public
meeting will be held in Alamosa and in other cities along the route. The date and location of the Alamosa meeting will be
announced through the local news media and on the Old Spanish Trail Website http://www.nps.gov/olsp. Specific comments
about the historic importance of the West Fork of the North Branch of the Old Spanish Trail, along the western foothills of
the San Luis Valley, are needed because this segment is not presently included in the National Historic Trail System.
San Luis Valley Archaeological Network Archaeo-Update
Vince Spero, Editor
28 Wendar Drive
South Fork CO 81154