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Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) provided support for the United States Air Force Academy’s (USAFA) proposal to conduct an archaeological inventory and site evaluation along recreational trails on the USAFA grounds northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The work was performed under a Memorandum of Understanding and Interagency Agreement between the Department of Energy and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Midwest Region, Peterson Section. Argonne hired Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. of Montrose, Colorado, to conduct the archaeological fieldwork within the project area, which includes the Falcon Trail system and portions of the unofficial recreational trail system in the Pine Valley area. The field effort included survey of approximately 22 miles of recreational trails, covering a width of 120 meters centered on the linear pathways, and resulted in a total of 913.86 acres surveyed. Prior to fieldwork, USAFA staff selected 31 resources previously recorded, including 20 sites and 11 isolated finds (IFs) to be re-evaluated or to have a site condition assessment conducted. Of these 31 resources, 18 were not relocated during fieldwork. The project resulted in the documentation of 19 cultural resources, including the condition assessment of seven archaeological sites and the recordation of 10 sites, one historic cultural landscape, and one historical IF. Of the 10 sites, one is a previously recorded prehistoric site and nine are historical sites. The nine historical sites include five previously recorded sites that consist of a historical earthen berm and four previously recorded homesteads and house foundations. The remaining four sites are newly recorded and include a new segment of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad grade, a series of check dams, a terraced field, and a historical artifact scatter. The historic cultural landscape consists of various historical erosion-control features found throughout the USAFA grounds. The historical isolated find is a single piece of farm equipment. Two of the sites are recommended as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the newly recorded railroad segment is recommended as a supporting segment of NRHP-eligible resource. Six sites and the IF are recommended as not eligible for listing in the NRHP. The historic cultural landscape and associated site 5EP1630 are recommended as needing additional data before a NRHP recommendation is made. For the purpose of this report, “eligible” means that a resource is a significant cultural resource and has the potential to be listed in the NRHP and conversely, “not eligible” refers to a resource that is not significant and does not have the potential to be listed in the NRHP. A “needs data” site indicates that additional information or documentation is required before assessing the site’s significance. The seven condition-assessment sites were not re-evaluated regarding their NRHP status. |
