Southwest Ed-Ventures #13

Program Date: September 22 - 28, 2012

7 Days/6 Nights: Starting and Ending in Cortez, CO
Group Size:  Maximum: 15
Expert Staff: Virginia Wolf and Ed Wheeler

Highlights

Explore the isolated, seldom-seen archaeology of Cross Canyon in southeast Utah. Cross Canyon is the western most canyon in southeast Utah, near the Colorado border. Cross Canyon originates in southwest Colorado near Dove Creek, and connects with Montezuma Canyon as it flows southward toward the San Juan River. All of this area was heavily populated by large Ancestral Puebloan farming populations, from Pueblo I (A.D. 700) through Pueblo III (A.D. 1300). Mesa Verde National Park, the most famous Pueblo III habitation area with its cliff dwellings and mesa top ruins, is only 40 miles east of Cross Canyon, and Montezuma Canyon, Butler Wash and Combs Ridge parallel Cross Canyon to the west. Cross Canyon has not been seriously surveyed or studied by archaeologists, and the limited surveys undertaken were for the purpose of clearances for oil and natural gas exploration. We will be working with the Bureau of Land Management to help expand their archaeological and rock art database.  The BLM realizes that some archaeological sites might have been missed in the oil and gas surveys, and that most petroglyphs were not included in those surveys. Most of the sites in the canyon probably date between A.D.1100-1280, though the rock art might be significantly older. Because Cross Canyon has year round water, this would have been an important farming region for the Puebloans until droughts forced them to reorganize into more defendable locations like those found at Hovenweep.

Because Cross Canyon is so close to Hovenweep National Monument, we will camp in their campground with water and flush toilets, and journey by van about ten miles each day into Cross Canyon. Staying at Hovenweep will also give us the opportunity to visit some of the unique canyon head ruins and numerous towers that are scattered throughout the National Monument after completing our surveys.

Participants will learn overall site mapping and survey skills, artifact identification, site photography, and petroglyph recordation. We will be surveying the canyon bottom as well as the higher reaches of the canyon, so bring sturdy hiking boots, and lots of sun protection.  We will be crossing Cross Creek, which is seldom more than 6 feet across, but because the weather in the Four Corners is always a bit unpredictable, bring a pair of old sandals to ford the creek, if it is running high. Additionally, when we are near the creek there could be insects, so bring Deet insect repellant. It is highly unlikely that we will hike more than two miles per day, because once we have located an archaeological site, we will map and sketch it, plus the associated rock art.

The final full day we will visit some Hovenweep towers and ruins and a three-story pueblo that is further up Cross Canyon on the Colorado side. This region is seldom seen by visitors; in fact we will likely be the only people in this section of the Canyon. Hovenweep National Monument protects six prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders. Hovenweep is noted for its solitude and undeveloped, natural character.

Program Features

• Participate in a real archaeological survey under the direction of an archaeologist
• Learn through hands-on education, exploration, and outdoor classroom activities
• Participate in a Unique, Unforgettable, Small Group Setting
• Spend one day site seeing and hiking in the Hovenweep Monument area
• Camp in a National Monument campground with running water and flush toilets.
• This is likely a multi-year project 

Join us to experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to explore the archaeology of Cross Canyon. Learn how the Pueblo people lived their daily lives and hike to seldom seen archaeological/rock art sites. You will learn the skills used by archaeologists such as mapping, photography, site survey artifact identification, and more.

DAILY ITINERARY

Day 1: Thursday, September 20: Meet at the Cortez Airport by 1:00 and drive to the Hovenweep campground (1 hour).  Set up tents, have dinner, and orientation.

Day 2: Friday, September 21: Journey into Cross Canyon. Begin learning survey and mapping skills.

Day 3: Saturday, September 22: Continue with the survey, mapping, and recordation. 

Day 4: Sunday, September 23: Continue with the survey, mapping, and recordation.

Day 5: Monday, September 24: Continue with the survey, mapping, and recordation. 

Day 6: Tuesday, September 25: Visit several Pueblo III archaeological sites scattered across the ridgeline and canyon heads around Hovenweep National Monument.

Day 7: Wednesday, September 26: Pack up camp and depart for the Cortez airport.  Flights should be scheduled for 10:00 AM or later.

Activity Level: Requires fitness adequate for hikes up to 2 miles round trip, willingness to camp, and readiness to participate in a group setting while working and exploring all day. Temperatures could vary from 50-85 degrees.  We will establish a comfortable camp in the National Monument campground, with flush toilets, running water, a shade shelter, tables and chairs.

Cost:  $989 Costs include all food from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7, transportation from/to Cortez, CO airport, expert staff and guides, group equipment, and fees.  Tents, sleeping bags and pads are available for rent. Airfare and personal items are not provided.  Alcohol and sodas are not provided, but can be brought with you, bought enroute, bought in Cortez, or if you send us funds the School will pick them up (see drink order form in final packet). Single Supplement $30 for tent rental.

Expert Staff

Virginia Wolf: M.A., Geography, and M.A., Native American Studies and Archaeoastronomy, has taught geography, anthropology, and history classes at Butte Community College for over 30 years. Virginia has surveyed the Ute Mountain Tribal Park for Basketmaker-Early Puebloan petroglyph panels that served as calendars (archaeoastronomy sites) for the Anasazi , and worked in Chaco Canyon and Hovenweep National Monument area since 1989.

Ed Wheeler: M.A. Anthropology, was the Department Chair for the Anthropology Department at Butte Community College for 30 years. Since 1989 Ed has been a co-researcher with Virginia Wolf in Ute Mountain Tribal Park, and co-producer in a commercial video/DVD covering some of the Park's archaeoastronomy sites.  They co-authored an article in Southwestern Lore Journal concerning several solstice sites in Mancos Canyon and did a survey of Basketmaker-Ancestral Pueblo calendar/tower sites extends into Chaco Canyon, Hovenweep and other areas in the Four Corners region.