Portulaca Point

5MT10709

The site was named for a complete grayware seed jar filled with Portulaca seeds found in a pithouse during Crow Canyon Archaeological Center excavations.

Habitation site

Extent of artifacts scatter to the west and east. The northern boundary is an arbitrary division between 5MT10709 and a similar Basketmaker II habitation site 5MT10627. Similarly, the south boundary is an arbitrary division between the midden of 5MT10709 and artifacts from a Pueblo II roomblock to the south.

.4 acres

5MT10709 is a small mid-Basketmaker III (A.D. 570-670) hamlet site. Identified on the surface are the construction remnants of two east-west trending roomblocks and two distinct artifact concentrations within a site wide scatter. Geophysical imaging, soil auger testing, and excavation at 5MT10709 determined that the rooms in the northern roomblock are contiguous but separate upright slab surface rooms and that there is a double chambered pithouse near the center of the site, between the roomblocks.

Approximately 5.5 miles west of Cortez, Colorado, on the south side of County Road K.

Private Property, Indian Camp Ranch Lot 11, Bob and Diane Greenlee}

2014, 2015

Approximately one percent.

State of Colorado Archaeological Permits were obtained for each field season (2011-2014) to conduct archaeological research.