The Early People of Where the Mountains Meet the Plains

The Early People of Where the Mountains Meet the Plains

The legacy of the early people who lived along the Front Range of Colorado is a story of both tradition and change. For over 12,000 years, dispersed bands of people occupied the region, inhabiting favorable places and moving across the landscape as the seasons changed. It is a tale of adaptation to local environments and response to extended climatic fluctuations. Their history is understood through the study of stone tools, ceramics, remnants of an evening meal, and the oral traditions of their descendants. The remains help with the reconstruction of their cultural practices and technological innovation, reflecting resourceful people and the dramatic effect when outside influences filter into the region – sometimes blending and sometimes colliding. But most important, they help us to learn about the lives of these early people.

This presentation will explore our knowledge of these early people as seen through the eyes of an archaeologist. It will explore our current understanding of the past and how our archaeological interpretation and methods have changed to better understand these past lives.

About the Presenter

Meg Van Ness, a longtime Golden resident, has been an archaeologist for over 50 years with most of the time spent in the middle of the continent: the Midwest, Northern Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Missouri and an MA from Northern Arizona University – both in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology. Her early years were spent working on various projects through universities and archaeological consulting companies, followed by 15 years at the Colorado State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Beginning in 2005, and until her retirement May 2022, she was an archaeologist for the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – National Wildlife Refuge System. Her primary interests are the archaeological remains of prehistoric plant use, Depression-era buildings and structures, and new discoveries.