Range Creek, Fremont culture history discussed by archeologist

This archived article was written by: Nick Critchlow

The incredible archeological activity on Range Creek was discussed at last Thursday’s meeting at the CEU Prehistoric Museum presented by Renee Barlow with the Range Creek Research Project.
The presentation was cosponsored by the Castle Valley Archeological Society and the CEU Prehistoric Museum. The purpose of CVAS is to promote popular interest and education in archeology and other related subjects. They want to bring together people with the same ideals and principals about the preservation and protection of the pre-historical heritage of Utah for the mutual benefit and enjoyment of all.
Barlow has been in the forefront of the work being done in Range Creek. She is an archeologist with the Range Creek Resource Project, a research curator of anthropology of the Utah Museum of Natural History, adjunct professor of anthropology at Salt Lake Community College; and starts as an adjunct professor of anthropology at Weber State University in January.
Barlow says that the RCRP was mainly started through the effort of Jeremy Spangler who received his master’s degree from Brigham Young University, and has done some primary research out of Nine-Mile Canyon. Spangler invited the research team along to conduct research in Desolation Canyon and moved on to do research on Range Creek.
This project is sponsored by the Utah Museum of Natural History, including the Department of Natural Resources, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, National Geographic Society and KUED.
The project helps complete archeology on Range Creek; and with the geology, wildlife and painting workshops. Students and volunteers from the University of Utah and the College of Eastern Utah aid the RCRP.
Barlow and the RCRP were excited to be on assignment with National Geographic for this project. Their work on Range Creek will be covered in an article in National Geographic magazine, which will come out August 2006.
The RCRP is researching the granaries, tree rings, and seed samples along Range Creek. The Range Creek sites will be studied and protected by Utah’s Wildlife Resources Division of History and the Utah Museum of History.
Since the discovery of the granaries as well as matadas and monos (American Indian mortar and pestle) there is evidence of Fremont activity along the creek through these excavations. There are Fremont granaries all along Range Creek area. However representatives from the RCRP say that they are disappointed to see that many of the granaries have been heavily looted and disassembled.
The archeological study along Range Creek will contribute a great deal of information on the Fremont Indian Culture.
“My main goal is to understand better particularly how prehistoric women lived in this environment 1000 years ago.
” I want to know more about the life ways of Fremont in general but I am especially interested in women’s work efforts, what they did for a living, how much time they invested in family activities, hunting and gathering, working in corn fields, grinding food or if they where involved in the construction of their communities, just everything what they where doing and understanding more about them as people,” Barlow said.