Lithic Assemblage Structure and Variation

Animas-La Plata Archaeological Project
1992-1993 Investigation in Ridges Basin, Colorado

Editor
Francis E. Smiley

This volume is the second in a series of four volumes written to report archaeological research in Ridges Basin near Durango, Colorado. The archaeological work in Ridges Basin reported here began in 1992 with the award of Bureau of Reclamation Contract 1425-2-CS-40-11730 to Northern Arizona University and a multidisciplinary team of investigators.

The Bureau of Reclamation Animas-La Plata Project, under which the Animas-La Plata Archaeological Project works, involves construction of a dam in the southeastern outlet to Ridges Basin on Basin Creek. The archaeological research reported here begins the process of mitigating adverse effects of planned construction activities on prehistoric cultural resources in the project area.

We have established, with these volumes, a reporting series entitled Animas-La Plata Archaeological Project Research Papers to be published by Northern Arizona University. This work, Volume 2, provides detailed preliminary reports on the lithic artifacts collected during the limited, curtailed mitigation work in 1992-1993.

Although full-scale excavation recovery was originally scheduled to begin during the 1992 field season, the Animas-La Plata Project, the parent project of our archaeological efforts, was enjoined by federal injunction from any subsurface activities.

Accordingly, the project Co-Principal Investigators, in consultation with the Bureau of Reclamation, developed an alternative plan to conduct surface investigations limited to contour mapping, artifact collection, and detailed site observation and description. Although budget reductions cut the number of sites slated for surface investigations, crews from La Plata Archaeological Consultants, sub-contractor to the Animas-La Plata Archaeological Project, accomplished the surface mapping, observation, and recovery of surface materials from 42 prehistoric archaeological sites. Much of the material and data reported in this volume come from those surface collection efforts. In addition, selected materials from previous, unanalyzed collections have been included in various reports.

Companion volumes 1, 3, and 4 of the Research Papers series contain detailed preliminary reports on the particular archaeological materials and topics. Volume 1, Archaeological Sites and Surfaces (Gregg et al. 1995), reports the results of site surface collection, mapping, and evaluation. Volume 3, Early Puebloan Ceramics (Allison 1995), deals with the ceramic assemblages. Volume 4, Studies in Ridges Basin Archaeology (Smiley and Gregg 1995), contains four individual studies relevant to the archaeology of Ridges basin. In general, we have worked to develop regional comparisons in each of the volumes.

We wish to thank Bureau of Reclamation personnel Richard Low, Janet Johnson, Signa Larralde, Warren Hurley, and Wayne Prokopetz with whom we have worked to provide the best archaeological research possible under the conditions of federal injunction and the attendant budget reductions. We hope the researches reported in this and the companion volumes provide a useful perspective on the archaeology of the Durango area and we hope they successfully build on the work of the many researchers who preceded us.