South Park Archaeology Project

Looking to the Future

Survey will continue with an extensive use of volunteers on Federal and State lands. During 2001 and 2002 volunteers working with us contributed over 260 days of their time. In addition to public lands, we are working on several large ranches including the Columbine and Steiner ranches in the northern part of the park and the Santa Maria Ranch near Hartsel. Columbine has known Paleoindian sites, and Santa Maria contains a segment of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River and two tributaries.

Again next year UNC is planning a second field school season, Arapahoe Community College will be conducting field survey classes, and Skidmore College will contribute a collaborative research grant that brings a Skidmore faculty member to conduct focused research as part of the overall project.

We will continue working with teachers in Park County, where Project Archaeology was introduced in 2002. A report on SPArP education and outreach activities has been prepared forn the State Historic Fund and will be posted here soon.

In conjunction with PCHPAC and the South Park City Museum we participated in 2002's Colorado's Historic Preservation Month. SPArP held two open house events in the County. A poster displaying the SPArP accomplishments was created and county residents were invited to bring in their collections for identification and recordation. This was planned as the beginning of a dialogue between the project and local landowners.

SPArP will work to: 1) spread the principles of archaeology and heritage education and 2) provide an outlet for individuals who are interested in archaeology. We are working to create a stable volunteer base for the South Park Archaeology Project.

We will shut down this year's fieldwork efforts at the end of September, but as you all know the search for archaeology and knowledge never ends.

The laboratory analysis, research, and writing will continue through the year; as well as the neverending search for funding. We have worked with various groups (the Park County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, the local school district, the Fairplay Town Council, and the local Forest Service office) to establish headquarters/research facility in South Park; we now have facilities situated in the south Park High School.

Bookmark this site for future information.