Ancient Utes: The Mountains as Wilderness and as Home

The Southern Rocky Mountains of western North America are known for their jagged peaks, frigid lakes, and abundant wildlife. While many modern residents view the alpine country as wilderness and untrammeled by humanity, archaeological research provides a different narrative.  Over 2,200 prehistoric Native American sites are known from Colorado at elevations greater than 10,000 feet above sea level. Rather than conceptualizing the mountains as a barrier, research demonstrates that the highlands played a significant role within ancient Native American lives. For instance, communal hunting of large game such as bighorn sheep and elk was a major pursuit in the fall of the year, reflected in 96+ documented “game drives” and with many containing v-shaped rock walls that once funneled prey towards waiting hunters in shooting blinds. In this presentation, the presenter provides an overview of the alpine archaeology of Colorado, focusing on these hunting sites at Rollins Pass, proposing reasons for their construction and continued use over several millennia, and arguing for their importance to the peoples of the past in the conceptualization of “home”. Dr. Jason M. LaBelle is Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Center for Mountain and Plains Archaeology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.