Crow Canyon recently completed a detailed archaeological survey of its 170-acre campus. As part of this survey, 22 sites and seven "isolated finds" were identified and recorded within the campus boundaries. The survey was undertaken to enable Crow Canyon to effectively protect and conserve the cultural resources on campus both currently and in the future.

Walking uniform transects, the survey crew used hand-held global positioning system units to pinpoint the locations of all sites and isolated finds, and then, for each site, they prepared a sketch map, took a minimum of one color digital photograph, conducted a pottery tally and an inventory of artifacts on the modern ground surface, and completed the appropriate Colorado state site forms. Each site was assigned a Smithsonian trinomial designation. No artifacts were collected.

Kristin Kuckelman prepares a sketch map of a site on Crow Canyon's campus.

The 22 recorded sites exhibit evidence of 26 distinct components: six are Basketmaker III (A.D. 500−750), four are Pueblo I (A.D. 750–900), six are Early Ancestral Pueblo (A.D. 500−900), five are Late Ancestral Pueblo (A.D. 900−1280), and five are Historic (1900−1960). The prehistoric sites comprise two multiple habitations, five single habitations, an isolated boulder-top structure, a checkdam, and 12 artifact scatters indicative of resource procurement and processing. The five historic structures, refuse dumps, and limited activity areas resulted from early Euro-American settlement of the area.

Three of the Basketmaker III components are artifact scatters indicative of lithic production, resource procurement, and short-term camping. The other three components are single-habitation sites that contain vertical-slab structures and features characteristic of seasonal or brief permanent residence by single, nuclear-family groups.

Two of the Pueblo I components were procurement/processing camps. An early Pueblo I multiple-habitation site reflects occupation of the rolling uplands by an extended family of 10 to 20 individuals. This hamlet could have been occupied by descendants of residents of one or more of the Basketmaker III habitations within the cluster of sites found on the Crow Canyon campus or on the adjacent Indian Camp Ranch acreage.

The Cirque site, a sprawling, multiple-habitation complex located high on the rolling uplands, is by far the largest site on the campus and is the only site in the survey area that was occupied during the middle-to-late portion of the Pueblo I period. This complex of roomblocks, pit structures, and midden areas was home to 15 to 20 families between A.D. 840 and 880. This site was first recorded in 1983; we updated that form and map.

Six components exhibit early Pueblo characteristics but could not be confidently assigned to either the Basketmaker III or Pueblo I periods. Four are artifact scatters indicative of short-term camping for the production of flaked-lithic tools, the firing of pottery, or resource procurement and processing. The other two components consist of artifact and rubble scatters that have suffered damage from chaining or plowing; these small sites are located on deep loess sediments and could be the remains of small or seasonal habitations or field houses.

Five components date from either the Pueblo II or Pueblo III period. Three were identified on the basis of a few late sherds on sites that date from earlier time periods, one is a possible checkdam or water spreader, and one is a structure. The structure, perched atop a boulder, might have served as a hunting blind or for defense. Many structures were built on boulders during the late Pueblo III period in this region, and at least some were probably used for defensive purposes.

The five historic components include a can scatter, the remains of a campfire with saw-cut animal bone, and remnants of structure foundations. These sites indicate various historic uses of the landscape in the first half of the twentieth century. The only substantial historic component on the campus consists of the remains of a structure that was part "dugout" and part coursed masonry, and it had a wood roof or wood-supported sod roof. The site contains abundant historic refuse, and the presence of purple bottle glass dates the occupation to the early 1900s. This site contains considerable research potential for Euro-American settlement of this area.

The fieldwork for this survey was conducted between October 20 and December 1, 2009, and a draft report was submitted to the Colorado Historical Society in mid-December. The work was funded in part by a State Historical Fund grant from the Colorado Historical Society. Ben Bellorado supervised the initial few weeks of fieldwork; I supervised the project after Ben's departure from Crow Canyon. The crew also included Jamie Merewether and April Baisan, and Shirley Powell provided administrative support.

The results of this survey provide Crow Canyon with complete and detailed data on archaeological resources across the campus. The need to protect and conserve these sites will guide decisions regarding Crow Canyon's landscape and cultural resources far into the future.