The Rio del Oso is located approximately 20 miles north of Espanola, New Mexico in the Santa Fe National Forest.  The Rio del Oso Valley is characterized by riverine habitats surrounded by plateaus and low hills.   Uplands are dominated by pine while the lower reaches of the valley represent a mosaic including pinyon-juniper open woodland, juniper grassland, and riverine habitats.   The valley has been occupied for approximately 7,000 years, first by Archaic hunter-gatherers, then by Puebloan farmers, and finally by historic tipi-dwelling Native American and Hispanic communities during the 1800s.    The Ute, Navajo and possibly Comanche Indians were reported in this general area during the 1700s and early 1800s.  At least one band of  the Jicarilla Apache permanently settled in the Rio del Oso starting in the mid 1800s just before they began accepting U.S. government rations at Abiquiu just 15 miles north of the valley.  The following photographs were taken of a group of closely aggregated sites probably representing one or several permanent base-camps (LA90813, LA90814, LA90815) believed to be occupied by the Jicarilla at this time.  These conclusions are based upon historical records that state at least 39 nine Jicarilla lodges were established in the valley during the 1850s.   Conclusions are also based the presence of multiple tipi rings (~40), evidence of micaceous clay pottery production, Apache micaceous sherds, distinctive beveled and one-handed manos, Apahcean projectile points, and historical artifacts dating to the 1800s found on these three sites.  Several sherds retrieved from these sites were made from clays derived from the Petaca clay district.
 
 

Shot of LA90813 looking south.

Tipi ring at LA90815
 
 

Historic wagon road (LA90813)
 
 

Apache point
 
 

Micaceous sherds (LA90814)
 
 

Mica Schist and quartz "debitage" or waste  possibly related

to clay cleaning of mica clays.  Scatters like this are localized,

occurring primarily at the borders of tipi rings on the site.
 
 

Mica Schist metate (groundstone) with unknown function (LA90815)

Note that this groundstone has been ground completely through. 

Mica was used ethnographically by tribes in this area as body 

decoration, suggesting one possible function for this piece.
 
 
 
 

Mano or grinding stone (LA90815) found inside

a tipi ring feature.  Lateral beveling can be seen

as a slight discoloration along its margin.
 
 
 
 

This photograph shows metal clippings distributed in a tight

cluster on the border of one tipi (LA90815).   Historically, Jicarilla

were known for their production of metal points cut and hammered

from barrel hoops.
 
 

Historic belt buckle dating to the latter 1800s (LA90813). 

Found near a tipi ring.
 
 

An exploratory metal detector survey was conducted

across all three sites (LA90813, LA90814, LA90815) 

during the summer of 1998 by Charles Haecker, 

Dick Ford, and Sunday Eiselt.  Buried Metal artifacts were 

located in discrete areas related to activities on the 

site.

Axe-cut juniper stumps such as this one are common on these

sites, and are common in historical photographs of 

Jicarilla camps.   Juniper tree-ring dating may possibly

provide information regarding the timing and duration of site 

occupation.