Trinchera Cave Archeological District
Encyclopedia
The Trinchera Cave Archeological District is an archaeological site
in Las Animas County, Colorado
with artifacts primarily dating from 1000 BC to 1749 AD, although there were some Archaic period artifacts found. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2001 and is located on State Trust Lands.
in south central Colorado, east of Interstate 25
, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
. The climate zones and topography vary significantly in the 3,147 square mile Trinchera data analysis area (State of Colorado). Elevations range from 5370 to 14345 ft (1,636.8 to 4,372.4 m), the lowest being at the San Francisco Creek to the height at Blanca Peak
. Between the two points are low rolling hills, valleys, ridges, steep mountain slopes and cliffs. At the lowest elevation there is less than 6 inches of precipitation per year; The mountainous areas receive 20 or more inches of precipitation per year, primarily in the form of snow. The habitat supports elk and deer populations.
complex, and late prehistoric periods, which spanned a period from several thousand years B.C. to AD 1749.
Large corner notched points from the Archaic age are artifacts found at the site and akin to the Texas Ellis points or Denver area Magic Mountain Site
points found in Zone B. The presence of the points could show a relationship to the Basketmaker culture of New Mexico and Arizona, one of 17 such sites in southern Colorado.
and trade in the Upper Rio Grande, the Sopris culture was generally a hunter-gatherer
.
Santa Fe black-on-white pottery and Taos gray pottery were found at the second oldest level at the rockshelter. Also at that level was a greater percentage of corner-notched projectile that was found in the oldest level. The research and dating of items of this period indicate dates from AD 1100 to 1350, likely in the 1200s, and indicate a trading relationships with people of the American southwest.
is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200-1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle
and west central Oklahoma
and the northern half of the Texas Panhandle
. Antelope Creek focus
is the primary, and to some the only, cultural tradition of the Panhandle culture. The Optima focus was defined for sites in west central Oklahoma, but after further study, these sites were defined as Antelope Creek focus. In 1975 Robert G. Campbell defined the Apishapa of southeastern Colorado's Chaquaqua Plateau as a Panhandle culture, which is disputed by other noted archaeologists. Most of the sites are centered around the Canadian River
or it's tributaries, primarily Antelope Creek and also Cottonwood Creek, Dixon Creek, Tarbox Creek and also on the Archie King Ranch.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Panhandle culture are:
Just above the Sopris level were remains of a jacal structure. This level appears to contain a Panhandle culture
influence, based upon the presence of artifacts typical of the Antelope Creek Phase
and Stamper
cordmarked pottery.
The Apishap Phase
, from AD 1000-1400, was identified by archaeologist Robert G. Campbell to be an outgrowth of the Panhandle culture
. The Apishapa distinctions included that they sometimes lived in stone or slab constructed structures, made cord-wrapped pottery and used smaller projectile points; Unlike other Plains tribes, they did not use tools made of bison bones. They were a tradition of hunter gatherers who sometimes farmed. The people of the Apishapa phase lived in northern New Mexico or southern Colorado in rockshelters, single or multi-room stone or slab structures or in campsites, generally in protected areas near flowing water. Artifacts from this phase include a wide range of tools, cord-wrapped pottery and baskets. The initial reference point for the term was an archaeological site in the Lower Apishapa canyon.
In 1984 the Louden-Henritze Archeology Museum at the Trinidad State Junior College was dedicated to Richard and Willard Louden and Ruth Henritze.
The shelter stays cool in the summer due to the overhang and is warmed by the sun in the winter.
and Chamber Cave, all showed significant evidence of residence, including a wealth of perishable items. The Trinchera and Chamber Cave sites, though, are located in the Arkansas River
basin and connected with the people of the southern plains. Franktown Cave is located in the South Platte River basin, near Denver, Colorado. The latest inhabitants of the cave were the Apache and Comanche tribes.
Excavations were performed between the 1950s and 1970s, finding a similar variety of perishable items that were found at the Franktown Cave. The collection was taken and stored at the neighboring Trinidad State Junior College
, but the information about the perishable items collection has not yet tabulated and published.
on the grounds of the Trinidad State Junior College
, replica of the Trinchera Cave rockshelter exhibits examples of items made by pre-historic people, including pottery
, projectile points, and perishable items made from plants, such as braided ropes, grass mats and yucca sandals. The dry, protected cave preserved the perishable items.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in Las Animas County, Colorado
Las Animas County, Colorado
Las Animas County has the largest area of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Las Animas County takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally called El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en Purgatorio, which means "River of the Lost Souls in...
with artifacts primarily dating from 1000 BC to 1749 AD, although there were some Archaic period artifacts found. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2001 and is located on State Trust Lands.
Geography
Trinchera Cave is located within the Trinchera Creek canyonin south central Colorado, east of Interstate 25
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States...
. The climate zones and topography vary significantly in the 3,147 square mile Trinchera data analysis area (State of Colorado). Elevations range from 5370 to 14345 ft (1,636.8 to 4,372.4 m), the lowest being at the San Francisco Creek to the height at Blanca Peak
Blanca Peak
Blanca Peak is the highest peak of the Sierra Blanca Massif at the southern tip of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is the fourth highest peak of the Rocky Mountains, and the eighth highest peak in the contiguous United States....
. Between the two points are low rolling hills, valleys, ridges, steep mountain slopes and cliffs. At the lowest elevation there is less than 6 inches of precipitation per year; The mountainous areas receive 20 or more inches of precipitation per year, primarily in the form of snow. The habitat supports elk and deer populations.
History
Archaeological data indicates that there were people who inhabited or camped at the site from the late Archaic cultural period, Sopris phase, Apishapa cultureApishapa culture
The Apishapa culture, or Apishapa Phase, a prehistoric culture from A.D. 1000-1400, was named based upon an archaeological site in the Lower Apishapa canyon in Colorado. The Apishapa River, a tributary of the Arkansas River, formed the Apishapa canyon...
complex, and late prehistoric periods, which spanned a period from several thousand years B.C. to AD 1749.
Archaic period - 5850-3050 BC
People of the Archaic period were hunters of smaller game, such as deer, antelope and rabbits, and gatherers of wild plants. The people moved seasonally to hunting and gathering sites. Late in the Archaic period, about 200-500 A.D., corn was introduced into the diet and pottery-making became an occupation for storing and caring food.Large corner notched points from the Archaic age are artifacts found at the site and akin to the Texas Ellis points or Denver area Magic Mountain Site
Magic Mountain Site
The Magic Mountain Site is an Archaic and Woodland village site in Jefferson County, Colorado dating from 4999 BC to 1000 AD. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
points found in Zone B. The presence of the points could show a relationship to the Basketmaker culture of New Mexico and Arizona, one of 17 such sites in southern Colorado.
Sopris phase - AD 1000-1250
In the very southeastern area of Colorado, around the present town of Trinidad, was a culture that followed the Archaic period. Although the culture appeared to have been greatly influenced by pueblo people, such as the Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
and trade in the Upper Rio Grande, the Sopris culture was generally a hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
.
| Period | Structures | Pottery | Points | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial 1000-1100 |
Pit-house Pit-house A pit-house is a dwelling dug into the ground which may also be layered with stone.These structures may be used as places to tell stories, dance, sing, celebrate, and store food. In archaeology, pit-houses are also termed sunken featured buildings and are found in numerous cultures around the world... , jacal Jacal The jacal is an adobe style housing structure historically found throughout parts of the south-western United States and Mexico. The structure was employed by some Native people of the Americas prior to European colonization and was later employed by both Hispanic and Anglo settlers in Texas and... structure and campsites. |
Taos gray and distinctly different Sopris plain pottery | Corner-notched points are popular, but not the only points. | Basin metates |
| Early 1100-1150 |
Adobe, combination adobe and jacal construction | Taos Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA... gray, Sopris plain pottery, and the appearance of black on white, cordmarked, polished and incised pottery |
No particular changes were mentioned | Trough metate Metate A metate is a mortar, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind calcified maize and other organic materials during food preparation... s, turquoise, beads of stone and shell. Maize is farmed a little. |
| Late 1150-1250 |
Sandstone slab masonry, with rounded corners and posts for support | There is an increase and predominance of Taos black on white and Taos gray incised pottery | No particular changes were mentioned | Grooved mauls, slab metates |
Santa Fe black-on-white pottery and Taos gray pottery were found at the second oldest level at the rockshelter. Also at that level was a greater percentage of corner-notched projectile that was found in the oldest level. The research and dating of items of this period indicate dates from AD 1100 to 1350, likely in the 1200s, and indicate a trading relationships with people of the American southwest.
Panhandle culture
Panhandle culturePanhandle culture
Panhandle culture is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200-1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle and west central Oklahoma and the northern half of the Texas Panhandle....
is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200-1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle
Oklahoma Panhandle
The Oklahoma Panhandle is the extreme western region of the state of Oklahoma, comprising Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. Its name comes from the similarity of shape to the handle of a cooking pan....
and west central Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and the northern half of the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
. Antelope Creek focus
Antelope Creek Phase
The Antelope Creek Phase was an American Indian culture in the Texas Panhandle and adjacent Oklahoma dating from 1200 to 1450 AD. The two most important areas where the Antelope Creek people lived were in the Canadian River valley centered on present-day Lake Meredith near the city of Borger,...
is the primary, and to some the only, cultural tradition of the Panhandle culture. The Optima focus was defined for sites in west central Oklahoma, but after further study, these sites were defined as Antelope Creek focus. In 1975 Robert G. Campbell defined the Apishapa of southeastern Colorado's Chaquaqua Plateau as a Panhandle culture, which is disputed by other noted archaeologists. Most of the sites are centered around the Canadian River
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and most of Oklahoma....
or it's tributaries, primarily Antelope Creek and also Cottonwood Creek, Dixon Creek, Tarbox Creek and also on the Archie King Ranch.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Panhandle culture are:
- Great similarity to the Central PlainsGreat PlainsThe Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
complexes - Some, but much less, evidence of trading or influence of SouthwesternSouthwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
pueblo cultures - Single or multi-roomed stone structures
Just above the Sopris level were remains of a jacal structure. This level appears to contain a Panhandle culture
Panhandle culture
Panhandle culture is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200-1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle and west central Oklahoma and the northern half of the Texas Panhandle....
influence, based upon the presence of artifacts typical of the Antelope Creek Phase
Antelope Creek Phase
The Antelope Creek Phase was an American Indian culture in the Texas Panhandle and adjacent Oklahoma dating from 1200 to 1450 AD. The two most important areas where the Antelope Creek people lived were in the Canadian River valley centered on present-day Lake Meredith near the city of Borger,...
and Stamper
Stamper Site
Stamper Site is an archaeological site significant for its excavation of the Panhandle culture.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.The location is not disclosed by the National Park Service, and access is restricted by the private owner....
cordmarked pottery.
The Apishap Phase
Apishapa culture
The Apishapa culture, or Apishapa Phase, a prehistoric culture from A.D. 1000-1400, was named based upon an archaeological site in the Lower Apishapa canyon in Colorado. The Apishapa River, a tributary of the Arkansas River, formed the Apishapa canyon...
, from AD 1000-1400, was identified by archaeologist Robert G. Campbell to be an outgrowth of the Panhandle culture
Panhandle culture
Panhandle culture is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200-1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle and west central Oklahoma and the northern half of the Texas Panhandle....
. The Apishapa distinctions included that they sometimes lived in stone or slab constructed structures, made cord-wrapped pottery and used smaller projectile points; Unlike other Plains tribes, they did not use tools made of bison bones. They were a tradition of hunter gatherers who sometimes farmed. The people of the Apishapa phase lived in northern New Mexico or southern Colorado in rockshelters, single or multi-room stone or slab structures or in campsites, generally in protected areas near flowing water. Artifacts from this phase include a wide range of tools, cord-wrapped pottery and baskets. The initial reference point for the term was an archaeological site in the Lower Apishapa canyon.
Discovery
William Louden, a historian, geologist, and rancher, discovered the cave when he flew overhead the area in 1947. With Ruth Henritze, Louden dug for artifacts. The two individually published books about archaeology including:- Penetente Architecture at the Mouth of Long Canyon, Las Animas County, Colorado - Stephen K. Ireland, Ruth H. Henritze. (1973)
- Las Animas Archaeological and Historical Site Survey - William C. Louden, Stephen K. Ireland. (1974)
- Granada and Holly Archaeological Site Survey - Willard C. Louden, Stephen K. Ireland. (1974)
In 1984 the Louden-Henritze Archeology Museum at the Trinidad State Junior College was dedicated to Richard and Willard Louden and Ruth Henritze.
Cave description
The cave, approximately 30 by under a 8 metres (26.2 ft) overhang, is surrounded by Dakota formation sandstone and sits on a Purgatoire shale formation floor. Within the rockshelter there were previously walls, reportedly built with sandstone blocks, estimated to be 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick. Adjacent to the shelter is a creek.The shelter stays cool in the summer due to the overhang and is warmed by the sun in the winter.
Artifacts and other information
Trinchera Cave shares some similarities with a couple of other archaeological sites in eastern Colorado. Trinchera Cave, Franktown CaveFranktown Cave
Franktown Cave, located southwest of the town of Franktown in Douglas County, Colorado, was a prehistoric rock shelter between about 6,400 BC and AD 1725. Excavations at the site unearthed a remarkable number of perishable items, including corn, plant material and clothing...
and Chamber Cave, all showed significant evidence of residence, including a wealth of perishable items. The Trinchera and Chamber Cave sites, though, are located in the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
basin and connected with the people of the southern plains. Franktown Cave is located in the South Platte River basin, near Denver, Colorado. The latest inhabitants of the cave were the Apache and Comanche tribes.
Excavations were performed between the 1950s and 1970s, finding a similar variety of perishable items that were found at the Franktown Cave. The collection was taken and stored at the neighboring Trinidad State Junior College
Trinidad State Junior College
Founded in 1925, Trinidad State Junior College is a two year college located in Trinidad, Colorado, United States, with a secondary satellite campus located in Alamosa, Colorado...
, but the information about the perishable items collection has not yet tabulated and published.
Excavation and studies
| Date | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1954-1957 | Hal Chase and Herb Dick, professors at the Trinidad State Junior College. |
Conducted excavations of the site. |
| 1974 | Carol Simpson | Studied the site and prepared a thesis for her master's degree. |
| 1997-1999 | Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) volunteers | A survey was conducted of the Trinchera Creek canyon system, on which Trinchera Cave is located, by volunteers trained to perform surveys. They documented 57 sites, 18 isolated finds, with most of the artifacts dating after AD 1500. The hunter-gatherer artifacts included non-micaseous plain pottery, lithic tools made from Alibates and obsidian chert, and diagnostic tools which were similar to items of southern plains people. |
| 1999 | Michael Nowak and students, Colorado College Colorado College The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... |
Excavated the site to record and radiocarbon date items at the site. |
| By 2003 | Possibly Smithsonian Institution | Geodetic, magnetic, resistivity, and seismic surveys to locate the walls of the Apishapa "jackal" structure, which had been reported from the 1974 excavation, but backfilled as to not be visible or found in studies subsequent to 1974. |
Louden-Henritze Museum of Archaeology
The Louden-Henritze Museum of Archaeology's, located in TrinidadTrinidad, Colorado
The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
on the grounds of the Trinidad State Junior College
Trinidad State Junior College
Founded in 1925, Trinidad State Junior College is a two year college located in Trinidad, Colorado, United States, with a secondary satellite campus located in Alamosa, Colorado...
, replica of the Trinchera Cave rockshelter exhibits examples of items made by pre-historic people, including pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, projectile points, and perishable items made from plants, such as braided ropes, grass mats and yucca sandals. The dry, protected cave preserved the perishable items.
Further reading
- Nowak, Michael. (1975). Trinchera Watershed Project: Cultural Resource Inventory report. Report on file, Office of the State Archaeologist, Colorado Heritage Center, Denver.
- Wood-Simpson, Caryl. (1976) Trinchera Cave: A Rockshelter in Southeastern Colorado. Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming. On file, Office of the State Archaeologist, Colorado Heritage Center, Denver.
- Wood, Caryl. (1974). Excavations at Trinchera Cave. Southwestern Lore. 40(3-4):53-56.
External links
- Louden-Henritze Archaeology Museum - replica of the Trinchera Cave