A growing collection of pottery, including ceramic vessels, sherds, bowls, and more. Including but not limited to Biscuit Wares, Pre-Pueblo Wares, Blue gray type, Black-on red, and Crackled Black-on-white. On the most basic level, this form of ceramics came about from heating clay at a sufficiently high temperature to trigger a chemical alteration, turning the formerly plastic clay into a rigid, resilient ceramic substance. They were the daily life utensils used for storing food and seeds for future crops, preparing and serving meals, transporting items from one location to another.

In 1939, Clarence T Hurst began excavations at Tabeguache cave, located in the canyon of Tabeguache Creek in Nucla, Colorado. By 1941, the cave was completely worked. Tons of rocks had to be moved to reach the material deposits on the floor of the cave. All the material found belonged to the Basketmaker II (500 BC to 500 CE) a period that marked the transition from the. nomadic lifestyle to the beginnings of a settled way of life and a growth of dependence on agriculture, especially corn. Further examination (Mark Steiger 1994) through radiocarbon dating of the corn cobs and tree-ring dating of wooden beams used on the site, verified that the Tabeguache cave was occupied in the 1st century BCE and could have served as a food cache. The cave yielded more than 120 objects, including corncobs, squash rinds, various cordage, beads, hair ornaments, projectile points, dart points, dart foreshafts, bone tools, wood tools, basket trays, a eucalyptus sandal, and numerous other materials of Basketmaker type. Following this project C.T.Hurst excavated Tabeguache II Cave (1942-1944), Tabeguache Pueblo (1945), and Dolores Cave (1946). Each cave yielded similar materials as well as distinct objects, suggesting the people were related but not from the same culture. 

Cabinet One Introduction

Doctor Mark Allen Steiger has worked at Western Colorado University in the Anthropology department for 35 years. Born in Coffee Ville, Kansas, and raised in Littleton, Colorado, Doctor Steiger found his first projectile point at four years old. He knew he wanted to be an archaeologist ever since he started his career in archaeology after receiving his Bachelors degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and later received his PhD from University of New Mexico Albuquerque. When asked about Western and what has changed in the 35 years since he started, all Doctor Steiger said was “I got older” and “Students seem to get younger”. Doctor Steiger is known for his remarkable and influential research on top of “W Mountain”. His research has changed many viewpoints within the archaeology field. Dr. Steiger has helped many students find their passion in archaeology and has left a significant mark on the WCU Anthropology Department. His presence in the classroom will be missed, but we wish him the best in retirement.