Dolores Archaeological Program Technical Reports, DAP-084: Grass Mesa Village (Site 5MT23), Overview and Surface Collection Results: 1979 and 1980

Grass Mesa Village (Site 5MT23) is a large Pueblo I habitation site in southwestern Colorado. During investigation by the Dolores Archaeological Program in 1979 and 1980, a systematic surface collection was completed, and a probability sampling program was initiated alongside more intensive excavations. A total of 42 surface structures and 20 pitstructures (including a possible great kiva) were wholly or partially excavated during these first two field seasons. A statistical comparison of the results of the surface collection with the results of the probability sample suggests that the surface collection is not representative of total site content. However, the distributions of stone building materials and other artifacts on the surface were used to predict the locations of structures, and the ceramic materials recovered from the surface were used to tentatively place the site within the Dolores Archaeological Program temporal sequence. Based on ceramic dating evidence, the occupations of the site are believed to have spanned the Dos Casas (A.D. 760-850), Periman (A. D. 850-900), and Grass Mesa (A.D. 880-925) Subphases, with the population peak occurring sometime during the Periman Subphase. Future investigations at Grass Mesa will be directed toward further clarification of the spatial, temporal, and functional relationships of the various surface structures and pitstructures and toward the refinement of the chronological placement of the various occupations of the site.