Recalibrating the Significance of Prehistoric Sites of the Great Sage Plain in the Mesa Verde Heartland

The archaeological sites of the Great Sage Plain are important to many groups. To some they exist in a sacred landscape, while to others they are a source of data for study of the past, or are interesting elements of a beautiful place seemingly frozen in time. The Great Sage Plain is also a stage for the playing out of political agendas, where archaeological sites become points of contention for issues that go beyond the Four Corners to receive national and international attention.

The Great Sage Plain is a vast expanse of rolling, sage-covered mesa tops and stands of pinyon-juniper woodland stretching north and west from Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado to the base of the Abajo Mountains in southeastern Utah. The archaeological sites of the Great Sage Plain are important to many groups. For Native American people, the Great Sage Plain is animated by the histories and the spirits of their ancestors; it is a sacred landscape. The material remains are important to archaeologists who study the socio-cultural dynamics of the past. Archaeological sites are also visited by the public who value the past and are fascinated by these places seemingly frozen in time. Federal and State land managers view archaeological sites as cultural resources that they are mandated to preserve and/or manage. The Utah State Historic Preservation Office and Bureau of Land Management have funded Woods Canyon to develop a synthesis of archaeological data to provide a context for current and future studies. This document is also intended to refine significance criteria to help guide preservation of prehistoric sites on the Great Sage Plain in both Colorado and Utah.