Hunting Above the Clouds Along Colorado's Continental Divide: Results and Analysis of the James Peak Wilderness Archaeological Project

Summary

This is an abstract from the "*A New Look at the Southern Rocky Mountains: Crossroads of Western North America" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The James Peak Wilderness Archaeological Project was a collaborative project between Gilpin Historical Society and Metcalf Archaeological Consultants and funded by two History Colorado-State Historical Fund archaeological assessment grants. The James Peak Wilderness Archaeological Assessment and the James Peak Wilderness Sub-Alpine Basin Archaeological Assessment explored the Precontact Indigenous use of the alpine and sub-alpine regions surrounding James Peak along the Continental Divide, specifically focusing on the use of alpine communal hunting sites and related sites. Between Fall 2019 and Spring 2022, Metcalf archaeologists and volunteers conducted survey near James Peak and the adjoining sub-alpine cirque basin at the head of Mammoth Gulch and recorded a total of six new Precontact Indigenous sites, including three alpine communal hunting sites, two lithic scatters, one open camp. This project integrates into wider research efforts in the region addressing the occupation and use of the alpine and sub-alpine areas as mutually inclusive landscapes and demonstrate a diversity of cultures and lifeways of Colorado’s original Indigenous occupants utilizing the Colorado Front Range Mountains. This project also emphasized public involvement, education, and outreach, and included volunteer involvement in surveys, professional and public presentations, and the use of social media platforms to reach more diverse audiences.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• *A New Look at the Southern Rocky Mountains: Crossroads of Western North America

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53507