Bradford House II facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bradford House II
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The Bradford House II archaeological site, located at the end of Kildeer Lane in Ken Caryl, Jefferson County, Colorado. The site is also known by this number: 5KF51.
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Littleton, Colorado |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000031 |
| Added to NRHP | February 2, 2001 |
Bradford House II (also known as Site 5JF51) is an ancient rock shelter. It is located about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Denver, Colorado. This special place is on land owned by the Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association.
In 1973, archaeologists from the Denver Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society dug here. They found many interesting things. These included thousands of stone tools, bone tools, and animal bones. They also found some pottery pieces. People lived at Bradford House II for a very long time. They used the shelter during the Middle and Late Archaic periods, and the Woodland period. This means people lived here for about 4,500 years!
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A Home in the Valley
Bradford House II is found in the Ken-Caryl Valley. This valley is surrounded by mountains and hills. The Front Range mountains are to the west. The Lyons and Dakota hogbacks are to the east. A hogback is a long, narrow ridge of hills.
Why People Lived Here
Many ancient sites are found in this valley. This shows that early people loved to live here. The valley had many things they needed to survive. They found shelter under large rocks. They also found good stone for making tools. Plus, there were many plants and animals to eat.
The Valley's Landscape
The rock shelter is about 1,878 meters (6,160 feet) above sea level. The valley has special rock formations. These are called monoliths. Many of these large rocks have undercut shelters or caves. People used these caves as homes.
Weather in the Valley
The Ken-Caryl Valley has sunny and mild weather. It is also quite dry. It does not get as cold as the high mountains. It also avoids the very hot summers of the eastern plains.
Bradford House II faces south. This means it gets a lot of sunlight. This helped keep it warmer in the winter. The area gets a moderate amount of rain and snow. Winter snows melt quickly. This is often due to warm winds called chinooks.
Plants and Animals
The valley is home to many different grasses and plants. The hills around it have pine and Douglas fir trees. Archaeologists found plant remains at Bradford House II. These show that people gathered local plants. They used sunflowers, wild plums, acorns, and chokecherries.
Animals for Food
Many animals lived in the area. These included elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. There were also rabbits, rodents, birds, and fish. Archaeologists found many animal bones at the site. Most of these were from mammals.
Mule deer bones were found most often. Elk, bison, and rabbit bones were also common. This shows what people liked to eat. Their food choices did not change much over time.
Tools from Bones and Antlers
People also made tools from animal bones. They found bone awls, beads, reamers, and scrapers. They also made bone drills. Tools for shaping stone were made from antler. These items were found in all the layers of the site. This means people made and used them for thousands of years.
