Sam Stapleton, Archaeological technician with Statistical Research Inc. of Tucson, cleans a rock feature so he can get to the edges to find the boundary of the archeological site discovered at the manned Range 1 road of the Barry M. Goldwater Range – East. SRI and other contractors are conducting archaeological excavations to ensure range operations comply with cultural preservation laws. The road and area being excavated was previously washed out during monsoon storms in July and August 2014. The area received more than 10 inches of rain in a few weeks – more than the area normally receives annually. Materials and features discovered at the site suggest the site was primarily used to process and cook local vegetation. Continued testing will determine the age of the site and how cultures survived in the desert environment of the BMGR.

This photo provides an overview of archaeological excavations currently being carried out on the BMGR. The 56th Range Management Office resource management staff is tasked with ensuring that range operations comply with our nation’s cultural preservation laws. As part of this compliance requirement, SRI is excavating a significant archaeological site.