Archaeology and the Colorado River: Environment and Cultural Management

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Recent Archaeological Work by Chronicle Heritage" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

A rafting expedition covering a 17-mile stretch of the Colorado River in the McInnis Canyons Recreation Area revealed an invasive takeover of cheatgrass across adjacent canyons, once filled with bunchgrass and sagebrush during a previous survey conducted in the 1970s for cattle grazing. This presentation explores the dynamic relationship of environment, cattle grazing, fire, and its impacts to cultural materials. The resulting disturbance to the sites, as well as the overall landscapes, challenges archaeologists to re-evaluate their role in land management practices and for preserving the integrity of both cultural resources and native ecosystems.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Archaeological Work by Chronicle Heritage   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39882.0