q      Narrative

     Fieldwork during the 2002 field season was minimal due to a lack of operating funds.  All research took place on BLM managed lands.  Three problem areas identified as the result of the 2001 field season were visited in 2002:

1.           We attempted to relocate several sites adjacent to Recapture Creek near Recapture Reservoir in an attempt to associate Pueblo I habitation sites with the local ceramic base of temper and clay.  No appropriate sites for ceramic surface collection were identified in the area.

2.           We visited the Alkali Ridge and Alkali Canyon area adjacent to Site 42SA13 to evaluate the local resource base in the vicinity.  Laboratory processing and refiring of clay samples revealed that only 2CVS3, collected from Alkali Canyon, could have been used as a clay source for red ware sherds found in 42SA13 – its refired Munsell color of 2.5YR6/8 is an exact match to 61% of the red ware sherds collected during the 2001 field season.  The concurrent availability of diorite cobbles indicates that Alkali Canyon could have provided the clay and temper sources for ceramic production at 42SA13.  Two kiln sites (42SA20962 and 42SA20963) were visited on Alkali Ridge, but both appear to represent Pueblo II trench kilns associated with a nearby Unit Pueblo (no site # available).  Future research will concentrate on the location of Pueblo I kiln features in the vicinity of the site of Alkali Ridge.

3.           We visited several mesa top sites just west of Big Canyon.  During our visit we noted relatively recent pot hunting disturbances in the trash mound area of Site 42SA10374 and reported those observations to the BLM archaeologist at the Monticello office.  Our reconnaissance indicates that this area west of Big Canyon could have been another production locale for red ware ceramics with the refired clay color of 2.5YR6/8.  Clays of this refired color and diorite cobbles both occur in Big Canyon and there is a substantial Pueblo I population in the area.