Archaeological Excavation and Survey at Cherokee Ranch, Douglas County, Colorado

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In cooperation with the Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation, Metropolitan State University – Denver has conducted excavation and survey on the Foundation’s property near Sedalia, CO since 2014. Excavations have taken place at the Cherokee Mountain Rock Shelter (5DA1001) that was previously partly excavated in the 1970s. Artifacts and radiocarbon assays indicate a seasonal occupation primarily during Late Prehistoric period, though recent work indicates probable Archaic components. Survey has covered circa 780 acres with recordation of 31 prehistoric sites and 74 isolated finds. Three of these show intensive use: another rock shelter, a lithic quarry, and a large occupation site. The remainder appears to represent frequent but short term occupations for various resource extraction activities. They show occupations dating from 7,500 BP to the Protohistoric. Lithic materials and ceramic types show inhabitants had trading/cultural ties with groups up to hundreds of miles away. All together these data paint a portrait of prehistoric use of this area of the Colorado Piedmont throughout the Holocene.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39697.0