The Colorado Wickiup Project Volume III:
Recordation and Re-evaluation of Twelve Aboriginal Wooden Structure Sites
in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado

29 December 2006

Prepared by
Curtis Martin, Principal Investigator
Richard Ott and Nicole Darnell

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ABSTRACT

The Colorado Wickiup Project (CWP) is a comprehensive effort to document aboriginal wooden structures and features known to exist in significant numbers in Colorado. In 2005 and 2006, Phase III of the project recorded and compiled data from twelve sites in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco Counties. The scope of these sites ranged from single wickiups and tree platforms to a village containing 43 wooden features. A total of 81 wooden structures and other wooden features were recorded. Several new types of wooden features were identified among these sites, as were some newly recognized patterns within known structure types, including: low tree platforms, axe-split/shaped "boards", a storage "shelf", and a number of wickiups with integrated "utility" poles. In response to these findings, recording protocols were refined during the course of field work and the Aboriginal Wooden Feature Component Form was adapted to facilitate recording of these new data types. Partial funding for this project was provided by the Colorado Historical Society State Historical Fund (Project #2006-M1-013) and the Bureau of Land Management (Assistance Agreement No. 1422CA30007).