Bald Mountain Cultural Resource Services

SWCA began working with KG Mining on Bald Mountain Mine in 2012 with data recovery at one large quarry site. In 2013, SWCA was contracted to completed archaeological data recovery at 33 sites located within the Bald Mountain Mine District (BMMD). The Project was conducted at the request of Kinross Bald Mountain Mine in response to mining plans that are anticipated to adversely affect these sites. Data recovery was conducted pursuant to an HPTPs developed in consultation with the BLM. Data recovery at each of these 33 sites consisted of archaeological surface investigations and excavation followed by laboratory analyses designed to complete the process of addressing research priorities for the Project. Chronology data for these 33 sites consisted almost entirely of temporally diagnostic projectile points. These projectile points suggest occupation of the BMMD from the Paleo archaic through the Late Prehistoric periods, with an emphasis on use during the Middle to Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric periods. Ceramic artifacts at three sites also indicate use of the area during the Late Prehistoric period.

Historic sites in the Project contain features related to mining activities and settlement during the early and mid-twentieth century, but the artifact types present at all historic sites are only broadly diagnostic. Lastly, prior to these investigations, 18 sites had been recommended as contributing elements to the Maverick Archaeological District (MAD), 14 were unevaluated, and one was non-contributing. As a result of SWCA’s data recovery and other mitigation efforts, none of the 33 sites meets the attributes necessary for them to be contributing elements to the MAD. SWCA has also helped Bald Mountain maintain their GIS data related to cultural resources, particpate in ongoing monitoring and survey efforts, and have completed several other data recovery projects on the mine site.