Final report on a project combining a geoarchaeological perspective, known culture history, archaeological survey, remote sensed data, and a geographic information system to produce a workable model for predicting the likelihood of encountering archaeological sites, and the degree of site visibility, on the Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico. The results of this project provide the managers of Melrose Air Force Range a means for planning expected time and money expenditures for a specific undertaking in a specific area. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, this project also improved understandings of the history and use-patterns of the region. These data indicate that the area currently occupied by the Melrose Air Force Range was used prehistorically primarily for logistical purposes. From this, it can be expected that a majority of the sites discovered on the Range should be relatively ephemeral and reflect repeated extractive activities rather than semipermanent occupation.
Shelley et al. (Thu,) studied this question.