Cherry Creek Rockshelter facts for kids

The Cherry Creek Rockshelter is an important archaeological site in central Colorado. It is located inside Castlewood Canyon State Park, near Franktown, Colorado. Scientists believe Native American people used this shelter starting in the Archaic period.

The site is on the Palmer Divide. This area had a special environment long ago. It offered lots of food, water, and good rocks for making tools. These things, plus the shelter's natural shape, made it a great place for ancient people to live. Archaeologists began studying the site in 1955. The most recent main research finished in 2002.

Where is the Cherry Creek Rockshelter?

The park and the archaeological site are in the northern part of the Black Forest. This is a unique area with lots of trees, surrounded by drier grasslands. The Palmer Divide makes this forest possible. It brings more rain than other parts of central Colorado.

The rockshelter sits on the west side of Cherry Creek. This creek flows north through the park. It eventually joins the South Platte River. The shelter faces south, which was perfect. It protected people from cold northern winds. It also let in plenty of sunlight to keep the area warm.

This part of Colorado had many different plants and animals in the past. There was plenty of food, water, and good places to live. There were also rocks for making stone tools. All these things encouraged early humans to settle here.

Ancient Life and Resources

The area had plants and animals similar to the nearby Rocky Mountains. But the Palmer Divide had its own special mix of larger plants. Ancient animals included bison, antelope, deer, and rabbits. These provided a rich food source for the native people.

Besides Cherry Creek, there were also fresh water springs right inside the rockshelter. These springs helped the site develop and made it even more attractive.

How the Rockshelter Formed

The way the ground was formed helped create the rockshelter. The main rock layers are called Denver and Dawson formations. These were laid down a very long time ago, between the late Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. On top of these is a harder layer called Castle Rock conglomerate.

Groundwater moved between these two main rock layers. It slowly wore away the softer Denver and Dawson formations below. This left the harder Castle Rock conglomerate sticking out. Where these layers were exposed, the water created natural caves, just like the Cherry Creek Rockshelter.

Who Lived at the Rockshelter?

There isn't much proof that very early people, called Paleo-Indians, used the rockshelter. But there is a lot of evidence that humans lived there from the Archaic period onward. During the Archaic period, the climate started to change. It became hotter and drier.

This climate change meant people had to change how they lived. They started focusing more on gathering plants for food. They also began to live in one place for longer periods.

Life at the Rockshelter Through Time

This rockshelter was a great place for ancient people to live almost all year, except maybe summer. Its south-facing opening protected them from harsh northern winds. The area also had many plants and animals. Cherry Creek provided water, and there was even a fresh spring inside the shelter. Nearby rock outcrops gave them plenty of material for making stone tools.

Archaeologists found many stone tools and pieces of rock left over from tool making. This suggests the rockshelter was a busy place for making tools. They also found grinding stones in lower levels. Pottery pieces were found in the upper levels. This shows different groups of people used the site over time.

Scientists believe the first four layers of findings show a Woodland period occupation, around 500 AD. The types of spear points found in these layers were different from those in the deeper layers. This also points to different groups living there at different times.

The rockshelter was used for different activities. Archaeologists found fire pits (hearths) in one area. They found lots of tool-making debris in another. There is also proof that people stored things at the site. This suggests people lived there for a long time and used the site continuously. Research shows that the site was used a lot, especially during the Late Archaic and Early Ceramic periods. People during this time were living in one place for longer. The long history of use at the rockshelter supports this idea.

Exploring the Past: Archaeology at the Site

The first official dig at the rockshelter happened in 1955 and 1956. A student named Gerald Thompson from the University of Denver led it. He dug a large rectangular trench into the back of the rockshelter. He dug down in twelve six-inch layers. Thompson's records show that the rockshelter was used for a very long time. However, it's hard to know the exact dates from his work. Still, his research gave important information about the area's ancient history.

New Discoveries with Modern Tools

New research on the rockshelter began in 2000. Tiffany Tchakirides, another University of Denver student, started her master's research there. She used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to study the rockshelter. GPR sends radar waves into the ground to see what's underneath. She hoped to find areas that Thompson had not disturbed. This would mean new chances for research. They hoped to see Thompson's old trench, but instead, they found other disturbed areas.

In 2001, another GPR survey was done with different equipment. The goal was to use the data to plan future excavations. First, they wanted to find Thompson's trench. Then, they wanted to find undisturbed soil. Finally, they planned to dig test units to gather new information. Tchakirides found several interesting things in the radar images. These included possible hearths (fire pits), a rock ledge, and areas where the roof had fallen. They hoped some of these spots would still have artifacts in their original places. After careful study, five areas were chosen for future digging.

Digging for Clues

In the summer of 2001, excavations began. Four test units were dug in two weeks. Test Unit One was placed to explore the rock ledge seen in the GPR data. There, they found a hidden collection of lithic material (rock for tools). It had been left there for future tool making. Test Unit Two had pits dug by people looking for artifacts (pothunters). It also contained part of Thompson's original trench.

Test Unit Four was placed away from the original trench. This was where the GPR data suggested hearths and other features might be. What they found was an ancient living surface. They were able to connect it to Thompson's data. They also dated it to the Late Archaic and Early Ceramic periods.

To understand Test Unit Two better, Test Unit Six was dug. Unfortunately, Test Unit Six also showed disturbed layers. So, Test Unit Seven was dug as well. Finally, Thompson's trench was located. The team could then connect their new ideas with Thompson's earlier work. They found 1805 pieces of stone tools and flakes. They studied these to figure out where different activities happened. This, along with the hearths in Test Unit Three, showed that the rockshelter was divided into different activity areas. The tools in Test Unit Three also showed different stages of tool making. For example, tools from Test Unit Three were more finished than those from Test Unit Four.

What We Learned

In summary, all the information shows that the Cherry Creek Rockshelter was used a lot, especially during the Late Archaic and Early Ceramic periods. The site was divided into different areas for activities. These areas had features like hearths and storage spots. Findings from other sites show similar patterns of people living in one place for longer periods. Future research in parts of the rockshelter that haven't been dug yet could reveal even more about its history. It might even show how people used the site during other time periods.