GUMO Section 110 Two-Phase Geo-archaeological Study

Description

The proposed two-phase geoarchaeological study by the University of New Mexico, Office of Contract Archeology (OCA) will provide a systematic sample documentation of geoarchaeological data within both the active and stabilized gypsum dune fields at GUMO. The sites will be located with GPS units with sub-meter accuracy that can be tied into the GUMO GIS system. The information collected in the field during the Phase I Study will be used to create inferences about the types of sites and their periods of occupation. The systematic collection of data will also allow OCA to spatially analyze the data and assess whether the ⿿Horizontal Stratigraphy Model⿝ applies at GUMO. If so, GUMO archaeologists may be able to utilize the defined zones of occupation within the dunes to predict the periods of occupations for other yet to be discovered sites. In addition, this research may also contribute to other scientific fields. For example, based on the locations of sites in proximity to the leading edge of the dune field, it may be possible to evaluate changes in the rate of dune movement per year or over several millennia. Finally, information gleaned from the Phase II Study may be useful in understanding the relationships between the development of the gypsum dunes and late Pleistocene-early Holocene paleoclimates in GUMO. These data could, in turn, provide a new understanding about the use of the landscape by GUMO⿿s earliest occupants, the Paleoindians and the evolution of site usage and occupation following the Paleoindians.

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