In 2004 Dominquez Archaeological Research Group, Inc. (DARG) began conducting a comprehensive documentation and information sharing project for all known Protohistoric/Historic aboriginal wooden structures in the state of Colorado. Called the Colorado Wickiup Project, the initial goals of the study were to answer these questions:
• What do we know about wickiups and other aboriginal wooden structures in Colorado?
• What more do we need to learn from these fragile and endangered cultural resources before they disappear?
• How can we best record and preserve the archaeological information and cultural value in such resources?
• How can we maximize the research, preservation and educational value of the information and knowledge we gain?
DARG was awarded a grant in 2004 from the Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF) with matching funds from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to begin the first phase of the Colorado Wickiup Project with a focus on context development, data assessment, strategic planning, and field testing a documentation model. This initial phase was conducted from spring 2004 to spring 2005.
Volume I of this report presents the context, data assessment and strategic planning results of the project to date.
Volume II presents the results of a Class II Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Inventory for the Gunnison Gulch Area of Mesa County, Colorado, conducted as a field test for model documentation practices. Volume II includes restricted locational data and is available at Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office and Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.