ARCHEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE IN SOUTH- 

 EASTERN COLORADO 



By WALDO R. WEDEL 

 Assistant Curator, Division of Archeology, U. S. National Museum 



On August 14, following intensive excavations in western Missouri, 

 the writer proceeded to Pueblo, Colo., to investigate caves reported 

 to have disclosed traces of Indian occupancy. These reports, origi- 

 nating from cowboys and pipeline workers, were expectably vague, 

 but it seemed possible that some of the shelters might yield evidences 

 of geologically ancient man. About 2 weeks were devoted to recon- 

 naissance in the Purgatoire and tributary canyons, Las Animas 

 County, and to brief inspection of several open sites in Baca County. 

 During this work I was accompanied by L. L. Wilson, retired mining 

 engineer from Manila, P. I.; my assistant, M. F. Kivett ; and at 

 various times by local residents serving as guides. Among the latter, 

 J. J. Breslin, of Higbee, was particularly helpful. 



In marked contrast to the surrounding flat High Plains, the region 

 immediately adjoining the Purgatoire is surprisingly rugged, with 

 sandstone plateaus cut by deep canyons (fig. 96). Here and there 

 below the ledges forming the canyon rim are small overhangs and 

 natural shelters. Several of these within 6 or 7 miles of the Model 

 camp of the Colorado Interstate Gas Company were visited. On the 

 low ceiling of a small shelter some miles to the southwest were 

 simple red pictographs. From another at the head of a branch canyon 

 to the southeast came the fragmentary skeleton of a young female 

 accompanied by plain and incised tubular bone beads. In the shallow 

 dirt floor were a few flints and cord-roughened, grit-tempered pot- 

 sherds. Said to be identical with sherds previously found in other local 

 shelters, these apparently were related to certain "Plains Mississippi" 

 wares. A third and much larger overhang on the right rim of 

 Purgatoire canyon about 3 miles east of the Model pumping station 

 yielded corncobs, wooden foreshafts, nocked arrow fragments, painted 

 and sinew- or grass-wrapped sticks, pumpkin seeds, a bone awl, and 

 other remains. All finds were within 8 inches of the surface ; other- 

 wise, the fill, which in places reached 3 feet, was culturally barren. 

 Ledges in both the larger caves bore grooves and circular basins from 

 food-grinding activities. Probably these can be ascribed to Indians 

 who perhaps farmed nearby alluvial flats rather than to Mexicans. 



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