National Register of Historic Places

Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site

Durango, La Plata County, Colorado
Listed
February 11, 1985
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85000260

About this property

Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site is also known as the Fall Creek Rock Shelters Site. An Ancient Pueblo People (Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi) archaeological site, it is located in Durango in La Plata County, Colorado. People from the Late Basketmaker II and Basketmaker III Eras inhabited the site between AD 1 and 1000. A site for the dwelling was secured by digging a drift into the steep hillside and piling the excavated earth and stone out in front until a terrace large enough to accommodate the projected house had been provided. The floor area was scooped out to shallow saucer shape—in this case 9 m. in diameter—and coated with mud. At the margins, the mud curved upward to end against the half-buried foot logs which were the basal course of the wall. The walls were composed of horizontal wood and mud masonry. They rose with an inward slant to a little better than head height, then were cribbed for a distance to reduce the diameter of the flat portion of the roof, which was of clay supported by parallel poles, The arc of stones was a retaining device placed to hold back the ever-growing accumulation of refuse that was dumped at the brink of the terrace. Fall Creek (Durango) Rock Shelters:Reanalysis of Basketmaker II Site Durango Rock Shelters (North and South Fall Creek Canyon), Tree-Ring Bulletin

Location

Durango, La Plata County, Colorado

Categories

PREHISTORICEDUCATION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site

This page lists Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site listed on the National Register?

Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site?

Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site?

The period of significance for Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in La Plata County

Historic places, battles, and census history across La Plata County.

Explore La PlataCounty ›

More historic places in Colorado

Browse all historic places in Colorado.

View Coloradohistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Colorado history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Coloradohistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report