Cultural Resources Survey of 1,213 Acres for Four Proposed MLRS Firing Position Near McGregor Range Camp, Fort Bliss Military Reservation, Otero County, New Mexico

摘要

Between June 22 and August 8, 1997, archaeologists with Geo-Marine, Inc. (GMI). El Paso. Texas, performed an intensive cultural resources inventory survey of approximately 1,213 acres (491 ha) on McGregor Guided Missile Range, Fort Bliss Military Reservation, Otero County. New Mexico. The purpose of this archaeological survey was to identify, document, and inventory prehistoric and historic remains in support of the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) training requirements. This survey looked at four proposed parcels (Alpha, Charlie, Echo) and Golf ranging in size from 148 acres (60 ha) at the Golf parcel (0436 acres 177 ha) at the Alpha parcel. Twenty nine (21) archaeological sites (FIB 9603, FIB 15603-FIB 15621. and FIB 15685) including 20 previously unrecorded and one revisited (PB 9603), along with 197 isolated occurrences were identified and documented during this project. These archaeological sites represent prehistoric temporal affiliations spanning approximately 5,000 years of human occupation (Middle Archaic through late Formative) in the Tularosa Basin of south central New Mexico. No Historic period sites were identified, although isolated artifacts discovered attest to a Historic period presence within the region. The application of the Fort Bliss site significance standards, including a ranking system for eligibility determinations for the discovered archaeological sites, was applied. This application recommends 15 as sites eligible for inclusion in the NRHP (FIB 15603-FIB 15605, FIB l5607-FB 15611. lIsa 15613-FB 15618. and FIB 156115). four sites as of unknown eligibility (FIB 15606. FIB 15612, FIB 15619, and FIB 15620), and one site (FIB 15621) was recommended as ineligible. The previously recorded site (FIB 9603) was not included in the eligibility recommendations because it was not re-recorded due to its enormous size.