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In this paper we highlight the value of taking standardized measurements from fragmented bones of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) from ancient sites in the American Southwest. We present turkey measurement data from two sites in the Central Mesa Verde region of southwestern Colorado; Albert Porter and Sand Canyon Pueblos, dating to the Pueblo II and III (AD 920-1280) periods. Our analyses indicate that fragmented bone epiphyses can successfully distinguish male from female turkeys. Such data can be used to construct population profiles of turkeys and contribute to an understanding of husbandry and the domestication process. At Albert Porter Pueblo we also investigated whether or not turkeys from the Pueblo II period (A.D. 920-1140) differed in size from turkeys during Pueblo III period (A.D. 1140-1280). Although the average bone measurements are smaller for turkeys from Pueblo II compared to Pueblo III, our data are inconclusive and limited by small sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of debitage from Wetherill Mesa in Mesa Verde National Park indicates dramatic changes in toolstone procurement patterns through time. For much of the early occupation of Wetherill Mesa, locally available igneous and indurated shale toolstones were the primary resources utilized. During the Pueblo II period, however, there was a shift to the use of Brushy Basin chert, which outcrops approximately 20 km away By the end of the Pueblo II period, there is another change in procurement. Silicified mudstones from the Burro Canyon and Morrison formations, from approximately 10 km away, were used. These changes in toolstone provide important clues about the changing social landscape in the central Mesa Verde region over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the ecological significance of large fire history and dramatic vegetative changes in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. Mapping of the spatial extent of all fires >10 hectare (ha) that occurred during the last 150 years within a 6600-ha and turnover time are offered. Findings of the study determine that the frequency and extent of fire during the last 50 in Mesa Verde have not been greatly vary from the natural fire regime of the late 1800s.

The article provides information on tours and excursions offered by the History Colorado organization throughout Colorado in 2014, including walking tour of Fifteenth Street in Denver, Colorado, a trek through Mesa Verde National Park, and a rafting trip on Green River.