Lindenmeier Folsom Site

Lindenmeier is a large Native American archaeological site dating to the end of the Pleistocene epoch, or Ice Age, in northern Larimer County. The site contains stone tools and animal bones interpreted by archaeologists as the fragmentary remains of an ancient campsite and associated bison kill, inhabited primarily by a group of Paleo-Indians archaeologists refer to as the Folsom people. They got this name when archaeologists discovered their distinctive projectile points near Folsom, New Mexico, in the late 1920s. Lindenmeier is one of the largest sites of its age and complexity known from the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Several radiocarbon samples of charcoal date the Folsom occupation of the site to approximately 12,300 years before the present.

Folsom points are masterfully crafted stone tools, with a distinctive groove (also called a flute) oriented along their long axis. They are often manufactured from high-quality and beautiful selections of quartz making them one of the most identifiable and visually artistic examples of ancient Native American weaponry. The points were mounted on the ends of throwing or thrusting spears, although the exact type is subject to debate. Regardless, Folsom points were used to hunt large game such as bison, pronghorn, and deer and served secondary functions as knives.

Site Discovery

The Coffin family, along with a family friend, discovered the Lindenmeier site in 1924. They recognized the fluted points as different from the abundant and smaller arrow points found on many local sites. At this time, no one knew the age of these distinct tools. Several years later, the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now the Denver Museum of Nature and Science) documented identical points at a bison kill in northeastern New Mexico, naming them “Folsom” after the local village name. Following this event, scientists sought additional examples of Folsom sites for comparison. The Coffins contacted several scholars about their finds, eventually persuading Dr. Frank Roberts of the Smithsonian Institution to visit in 1934. The site would become known as the Lindenmeier site, named after William Lindenmeier, the landowner at the time.

The Smithsonian Institution began excavation in 1935, sponsoring yearly summer fieldwork between 1935 and 1940. The Colorado Museum of Natural History also supported a team in 1935, and the Coffin family excavated shallow portions of the site for several years as well. The Smithsonian published a final report in 1978.

Site Description

The site contains clusters of stone and bone debris, situated along the edges of an old stream valley and over a distance of at least a half-mile. It is a well-preserved site, with some areas buried under twelve to fifteen feet of sediment and covered by layers of silts and clays slowly deposited by floods and windstorms over thousands of years. The clusters represent work areas, where Folsom peoples manufactured projectile points, repaired or discarded broken tools, cooked their food, cleaned and transformed animal hides into leather, and manufactured clothing.

Archaeologists interpret the meaning of these work areas based on the types of artifacts found there, including broken Folsom points discarded after hunting trips, fragmentary preforms (Folsom points broken during manufacture), bone needles, end scrapers (tools used to scrape hides), various forms of decorative arts, broken animal bones, and concentrations of red ochre (used as paint and perhaps a preservative). The concentrations could represent a single large camp simultaneously occupied by several large Folsom groups (each with twenty to forty members) coming together to rendezvous. But perhaps more likely, the concentrations illustrate an occupation over several generations, where Folsom peoples returned year after year to their favored campsite.

Later other Native American groups occupied the site to a lesser degree, as excavation and survey recovered projectile points dating to the Late Paleo-Indian, Archaic, and Late Prehistoric periods. In addition, radiocarbon dates document several fire pits (hearths) dating to the Middle Holocene Archaic era.

The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark. Artifacts from the site are held by the Smithsonian Institution, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, and in private collections. The City of Fort Collins owns the site today. The property is open for visitation from March 1 until November 30 each year, providing opportunities for recreation and education.

Lindenmeier is a large Native American archaeological site dating to the end of the Pleistocene epoch, or Ice Age, in northern Larimer County. The site contains stone tools and animal bones thought to be the fragmentary remains of an ancient campsite. It was inhabited by a group of Paleo-Indians referred to as the Folsom people. These people were given their name when archaeologists discovered their distinctive projectile points near Folsom, New Mexico, in the late 1920s.

Folsom points are masterfully crafted stone tools, with a distinctive groove (also called a flute) lined up along their long axis. They are often manufactured from high-quality and beautiful selections of quartz, making them one of the most identifiable examples of ancient Native American weaponry. The points were mounted on the ends of throwing or thrusting spears, although the exact type is being debated. Nevertheless, Folsom points were used to hunt large game such as bison, pronghorn, and deer and served secondary uses as knives.

Site Discovery

The Coffin family, along with a family friend, discovered the Lindenmeier site in 1924. They recognized the fluted points as different from the plentiful and smaller arrow points found on many local sites. At this time, no one knew the age of these distinct tools. Several years later, the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now the Denver Museum of Nature and Science) identified identical points at a bison kill site in northeastern New Mexico, naming them “Folsom” after the local village name. Following this event, scientists sought additional examples of Folsom sites for comparison. The Coffins contacted several scholars about their finds, eventually persuading Dr. Frank Roberts of the Smithsonian Institution to visit in 1934. The site would become known as the Lindenmeier site, named after William Lindenmeier, the landowner at the time.

Site Description

The site contains groups of stone and bone debris, and is situated along the margins of an old stream valley and over a distance of at least a half mile. It is a well-preserved site with some areas buried under twelve to fifteen feet of sediment and covered by layers of silts and clays slowly deposited by floods and windstorms over thousands of years. The groups represent work areas, where Folsom peoples manufactured projectile points, repaired or discarded broken tools, cooked their food, cleaned and transformed animal hides into leather, and manufactured clothing.

Archaeologists interpret the meaning of these work areas based on the types of artifacts found there, including broken Folsom points discarded after hunting trips, bone needles, end scrapers (tools used to scrape hides), various forms of decorative arts, broken animal bones, and areas of red pigment (used as paint and perhaps a preservative). These work areas could represent a single large camp occupied by several large Folsom groups (each with twenty to forty members) coming together to rendezvous. But perhaps more likely, the areas show a gathering place where Folsom peoples returned year after year to their favored campsite.

Later Native American groups occupied the site. Excavation and survey recovered projectile points dating to more recent time periods.

The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark. Artifacts from the site can be found at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery and in private collections. The City of Fort Collins owns the site today. The property is open for visits from March 1 until November 30 each year.

Lindenmeier is a large Native American archaeological site located in northern Larimer County. The site dates back to the Ice Age. It had stone tools and animal bones. Archaeologists believe these things were from a campsite that belonged to an ancient Indian group called Folsom people. They got their name when archaeologists discovered similar arrowheads near Folsom, New Mexico, in the late 1920s.

Folsom points are crafted stone tools, with an unusual groove (also called a flute) located along the long side of the point. They are often made from a beautiful kind of quartz. Folsom points were used to hunt large game such as bison, pronghorn, and deer. They were also used as knives.

Site Discovery

The Coffin family and a family friend discovered the Lindenmeier site in 1924. They knew the fluted points were different from the many, smaller arrow points found on many local sites. A few years after the discovery, the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now the Denver Museum of Nature and Science) found the same kind of points at a bison kill in New Mexico. They named the points “Folsom” after the local village name. The site would became known as the Lindenmeier site, named after William Lindenmeier, who owned the land at the time.

Site Description

The site contains groups of stone and bone remains, located along the edges of an old stream valley. It is a well-preserved site. The groups were from work areas, where Folsom peoples made arrowheads and fixed or threw away broken tools. They also cooked their food, cleaned and tanned animal hides into leather, and made clothing.

Artifacts from the site are located at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. The City of Fort Collins owns the site today. The property is open for visitors from March 1 until November 30 each year.