Bedrock Ground Stone Features on Chacuaco Creek, Southeastern Colorado

Abstract

In southeastern Colorado, bedrock ground stone (BGS) features, also called bedrock metates or mortars, are a well-recognized part of the archaeological record. Although sometimes documented or recorded, they are rarely studied. However, elsewhere BGS are considered an important aspect of subsistence strategies, landscape adaptation, and symbolic ideology. A critical examination of any aspect of material culture begins with an unbiased description, and subsequent development of methods to scientifically examine the phenomena. This paper offers a methodology for recording BGS features to encourage reporting in the region. Results underscore the importance of developing accurate feature planviews, but also illustrate that minimal metric data (length, width, and depth) offer insight into how the landscape was inhabited by ancient peoples.