Excavations at Site AZ B:4:45 (MNA) were designed to mitigate past adverse impacts from the construction of a road through the site
John Eisenbeiss and Gen Jones work on their notes for XU-B at Site AZ B:4:45 (MNA)
Chelsea Fisher, Geoff Fletcher, Dani Donaldson, and Cathy Puerta screen at Site AZ B:4:45 (MNA)
Excavations revealed a buried cultural stratum of charcoal-stained soil with abundant artifacts, seen here in XU-A
Concentration of large sherds in the sidewall of XU-A
Concentration of re-fitting Shinarump Corrugated sherds in XU-D
Excavations at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA) at the Two Mile Ranch corrals were designed to mitigate past adverse impacts from the development of ranch infrastructure
John Eisenbeiss and Gen Jones in XU-B at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA), supervised by Geoff Fletcher and Sam
Paula Burt and Sarah Williams excavate XU-D at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA)
Jana Comstock and Dani Litchfield at work screening fill from XU-F at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA)
Most of the test units at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA) revealed disturbed, mixed deposits with prehistoric artifacts and modern trash to depths of 50 cm, but XU-D had subsurface prehistoric cultural deposits that had not been disturbed by the corral construction
Paula Burt and Cathy Puerta map a pueblo found on survey
Sarah Williams, Dani Donaldson, and Dani Litchfield map another pueblo found on survey
Projectile points, like this San Jose Point, are important indicators of when sites were used, please leave them for archaeologists and do not remove them from their contexts. This point indicates use of the site at which it was found during the Middle Archaic ca. 3500-1500 BC.
Elko Point - Middle to Late Archaic ca. 3500 BC to AD 500
Bull Creek Point - ca. AD 900-1350
Cottonwood Point - ca. AD 900-1350. Cottonwood and Bull Creek points are both triangular forms and are differentiated based on production strategies and flaking techniques
Shinarump White Ware sherds found at Site AZ B:4:53 (MNA), decorated sherds provide important clues about site occupation dates - please do not remove them from sites! Types present (Wahweap, Wygaret, and Vermilion Black-on-white) suggest use of the site in the Late Pueblo II period between AD 1050 and 1150
Excavations at West Bench Pueblo were designed to mitigate the past adverse impacts of a road through the site and vandalism from pot hunting
Jana Comstock and Cathy Puerta excavate XU-E at West Bench Pueblo. XU-E was placed in an area vandalized by pot hunting and used to expose adjacent undisturbed deposits.
Plastered slab floor exposed at the bottom of XU-E and underlying a plaster floor from a later occupation associated with the wall fall seen on the surface.
Sarah Williams and Dani Donaldson excavate XU-F at West Bench Pueblo. XU-F was placed where the old roadway cut through the midden and over the courtyard enclosing wall.
Completion of XU-F appears to reveal the disturbed remains of the masonry foundation of the courtyard enclosing wall.
At West Bench Pueblo, Geoff Fletcher works in XU's G & H with volunteers from Glen Canyon NRA - Dean Duryea, D.W. Crouch, and Thann Baker. These XU's were placed where the old road crossed over the roomblock.
Completion of the first levels revealed coursed masonry of fallen walls that were oriented perpendicularly to one another.
This wall fall sealed underlying room fill deposits, protecting them from damage resulting from use of the road.
Wall foundation and portions of preserved floor exposed in XU-H at West Bench Pueblo. Turkey eggshell fragments were found in the fill above the floor that had been sealed beneath the wall fall and preserved from additional impacts from vehicle traffic on the road.
A clay plastered and slab-lined floor was found in XU-G. Excavation in the area where it had been impacted by the road revealed this cross section of the floor showing how the slabs were not only plastered on top, but set into plaster as well. The whole room had been built on top of construction debris from earlier occupational episodes.
Students learn about mapping using a total station from Dr. Chris Downum
Gen Jones taking a shot with the total station at West Bench Pueblo
Chelsea Fisher taking a shot with the total station with Chris Downum and Gen Jones supervising
Dani Donaldson holds the prism for the total station
Dani Litchfield holding the prism
John Eisenbeiss and Chris Downum map at Site AZ B:4:46/47 (MNA)
Byl Bryce giving a flintknapping demonstration
Standing on the south edge of the Paria Plateau on a weekend field trip
Sam and I at the edge of the Paria Plateau
Exploring on the Paria Plateau
White Pockets
White Knoll
mesa near White Pockets
Coyote Buttes from White Pockets
Sam and his posse - Sarah Williams, Dani Donaldson, Dani Litchfield, Chelsea Fisher, and Gen Jones - at White Pockets
Prickly pear catci in bloom
On the porch of the Big Saddle line shack, one of the Kane Ranch facilities on the Kaibab Plateau
The Grand Canyon from Crazy Jug Point
The group at Crazy Jug Point on the north rim of the Grand Canyon
Composite panorama view of Tapeats Amphitheater in the Grand Canyon from Fire Point
The group at Fire Point on the north rim of the Grand Canyon
Me at Fire Point
Lupines among the ponderosa pines on top of the Kaibab Plateau.
Everyone in a field of lupines on the Kaibab Plateau
View down Buck Farm Canyon towards Marble Canyon
Don't jump ... it wasn't that bad!
On the porch at Kane Ranch on the last day
Sunset at Two Mile
