BLM-CO Archaeology and Cultural Resources Study Project, Tres Rios Field Office

Archaeological resources belong to all Americans and provide the history and context of our society. A primary goal of the BLM cultural resource program is to work in the public's interest so that archaeological knowledge may be shared and learned. The objective of this agreement is to share an appreciation for American history and culture, through a variety of strategies, such as through social media platforms, in order to increase public awareness, knowledge and support for historic preservation, stewardship, and interpretation of the nation's cultural and historical heritage. The Mesa Verde Escarpment is located on Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) lands and is immediately adjacent to the iconic Mesa Verde National Park and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Limited past fieldwork in this region has revealed highly significant sites that are critical to understanding the prehistoric Ancestral Puebloan lifeways across the Mesa Verde cultural landscape. The Mesa Verde Escarpment has a rich archaeological record spanning over 10,000 years and possesses the densest concentration of Ancestral Puebloan habitation sites on public lands, and retains areas of traditional and scared values to over 27 Native American tribes found in the region today. The temporal span and distribution of sites indicate the area was consistently inhabited from Basketmaker III period through Pueblo III (A.D. 600-1,300). More specifically, the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) seeks a partner for the purpose of developing and implementing cultural resource projects to amplify public education and outreach efforts, with a specific emphasis on the Mesa Verde Escarpment region. This could include, but is not limited to, archaeological field school, research study projects, cultural resource inventory to locate and evaluate potential historic properties, archaeological site condition assessments, and public outreach and education.