Prehistoric Sites in Range Creek

Over 500 archaeological sites have been recorded in Range Creek Canyon since 2002. The sites typically date to the Fremont Archaeological Complex (300 CE-1350 CE). In Range Creek, sites can be grouped into several categories. Most commonly we find Open Residential sites, Storage sites, Rock Imagery sites, Artifact Scatters, and Rock Shelters.

Open Residential sites often include:

  • house structure(s)
  • midden deposits (trash pile)
  • hearths or charcoal stained sediment from cooking
  • artifact scatters (with many types of artifacts)

Storage sites often include:

  • granary structures (above ground storage often on cliff faces)
  • cist structures (semi-subterranean)
  • corn cobs or other food remains
  • associated rock imagery
  • few artifacts

Rock Imagery sites often include:

  • pictographs - painted images
  • petroglyphs - pecked images
  • imagery can be found alone or associated with other site types

Artifact scatters often include:

  • flaked stone tools - projectile points (arrow tip), bifaces (knives and scrapers), drills, and perforators
  • ground stone - mano and metate for grinding corn and other seeds
  • ceramics - most often Fremont grayware 
  • organic - corn cobs, arrows, snares, cordage, faunal remains. etc.
  • hearths and charcoal stained sediment from cooking

Rock Shelter sites often include:

  • house structures, storage structures, rock imagery, artifact scatters, charcoal stained sediment, inside a shelter

Fremont sites are very discrete, often no more than a partial circle of stone or a barely discernable color change in the sediment.  Even the archaeologist's working in Range Creek Canyon continue to find previously unrecorded sites hidden by vegetation or overlooked by students learning to identify the features and artifacts that we call Fremont.  Visitors to archaeological sites should always remember how fragile the structures and artifacts are.  Never sit or lean on rock walls and avoid climbing over structures or rubble mounds. We welcome visitors, but please leave sites as you found them so we can preserve these incredible sites for another 1,000 years!

 

Prehistoric ruins in Range Creek Canyon
Prehistoric ruins in Range Creek Canyon
Prehistoric ruins in Range Creek Canyon

 

 TREAD LIGHTLY TO PRESERVE OUR PREHISTORIC HERITAGE.