Brief by Central Staff
Archeology – October 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine
Prehistoric Gunnison was the site of an armory — or so it appears from two years of excavation near the mountain-side W that overlooks the city and the campus of Western State College.
More than 24,000 stone points and other artifacts have been uncovered there by archaeologists and their students, and the chipped stones may cause a major revision in the theories about early habitation of this part of the world.
They’re Folsom points, a distinctive type of arrowhead named for the spot in New Mexico where they were discovered. The Folsom people were thought to be plains dwellers, and their culture was thought to have faded out about 10,000 years ago.
But Gunnison isn’t on the plains, and some artifacts at this site are only 7,000 years old, so “We’re still scratching our heads on this one,” according to Dr. Mark Stiger, the Western anthropology professor who found the site.
Fire rings and shallow pits — which may have been used for hunting blinds or winter game storage — have also been uncovered.
We’re looking forward to learning more, especially if there’s a “Secret of the Ancients” which made it possible for them to spend winters in Gunnison without stoves or triple-pane windows.
