Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
As part of the long-term interpretive and stewardship goals for Nine Mile Canyon, the Bureau of Land Management partnered with the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Montgomery Archaeological Consultants, Arizona State University Tourism and Recreation Management, and the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance to interpret a pit structure at Cottonwood Village. To most people, it is hard to see the “home” in the centuries-old collapsed pithouses used by the Fremont in Nine Mile Canyon and elsewhere. This project aims to increase the interpretability of the structure via a partial excavation, revealing the living areas and the activities that took place there centuries ago.
An additional goal of this project was community engagement in citizen science. Though professional archaeologists from Montgomery Archaeological Consultants directed the excavation, the bulk of the work “in the ground” was done by school and other youth groups. Archaeology and other field sciences are the perfect gateway to introduce students to science as both a method of learning and potential career path. Additionally. these types of non-traditional learning environments can engage students left behind in the classroom and show them that there are many ways of learning. Studies have shown that student engagement in these types of sensory and kinesthetic learning environments can improve their self-confidence, impact their performance in the classroom and, even, reduce the youth suicide rate. This ongoing project demonstrates how public-private partnerships can directly target school-aged citizen scientists in a manner that benefits all parties.
As part of the long-term interpretive and stewardship goals for Nine Mile Canyon, the Bureau of Land Management partnered with the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Montgomery Archaeological Consultants, Arizona State University Tourism and Recreation Management, and the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance to interpret a pit structure at Cottonwood Village. To most people, it is hard to see the “home” in the centuries-old collapsed pithouses used by the Fremont in Nine Mile Canyon and elsewhere. This project aims to increase the interpretability of the structure via a partial excavation, revealing the living areas and the activities that took place there centuries ago.
An additional goal of this project was community engagement in citizen science. Though professional archaeologists from Montgomery Archaeological Consultants directed the excavation, the bulk of the work “in the ground” was done by school and other youth groups. Archaeology and other field sciences are the perfect gateway to introduce students to science as both a method of learning and potential career path. Additionally. these types of non-traditional learning environments can engage students left behind in the classroom and show them that there are many ways of learning. Studies have shown that student engagement in these types of sensory and kinesthetic learning environments can improve their self-confidence, impact their performance in the classroom and, even, reduce the youth suicide rate. This ongoing project demonstrates how public-private partnerships can directly target school-aged citizen scientists in a manner that benefits all parties.
