Intensive Archaeological Survey of the Department of Energy/Sandia National Laboratories Live-Fire Range, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico

Summary

The Center for Anthropological Studies has recently completed an intensive field examination of a 1,961 acre live-fire range to be constructed on Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This Department of Energy/Sandia National Laboratories (UOE/SNL) project area was completed in two phases. The nature and results of the first phase are discussed in the main part of this report. The second phase involved the examination of an area that was later appended to the first. Its description and archaeological results are contained in the attached addendum.

The main portion of the DOE/SNL project area encompasses approximately 1,723 acres, of which 168 acres were intensively examined. This examination produced nine loci of isolated artifacts and two prehistoric sites. The latter are dense surface scatters of sherds and lithic artifacts belonging to the A.D. 1100-1350 period of the Rio Grande Anusuzi cultural group. These sites were designated as NM 1:15:3:15 (CAS) and NM 1:15:3:16(CAS).

The appended project area includes 238 acres, of which 4.95 acres were actually examined for cultural resources. This survey produced no isolated artifactual loci, but it did locate and record three additional Rio Grande Anasazi sites. They were contemporaneously occupied between about A.D. 1200 and A.D. 1350; and they were designated as NM 1:15:3:17 (CAS), NM 1:15:3:18 (CAS), and NM 1:15:3:19 (CAS).

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Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Kirtland Air Force Base CRM Manager

Record Identifiers

Purchase Order No.(s): 44-1070

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