The Mountaineer site in the Gunnison Basin of western Colorado represents one of the most thoroughly excavated campsites in the Rocky Mountain region. The site is undoubtedly associated with the Folsom culture, which spans roughly 12,800 to 12,200 cal BP (with the Mountaineer site dating to the later half of that range). This edited volume offers an exceptional synthesis of more than a decade of research. Across 15 chapters and an appendix, the editors and contributors present a detailed account of the site’s excavation history, artifact assemblage, and interpretive frameworks, situating Mountaineer within broader debates about Paleoindian mobility and seasonal settlement.

Of the many valuable contributions this book makes, one of its main arguments is that Mountaineer was a season-long Folsom period winter habitation atop Tenderfoot Mountain, at an elevation more than 2,600 m asl. The data and analyses presented throughout, although useful on their own, support this conclusion. Other questions posed in the volume help situate this argument. For instance, were structures present at Mountaineer, were these structures contemporaneous with each other, and what was the duration of occupation at the site?

Although not explicitly outlined this way, the book can be divided into three sections and a summary chapter. The first section (chapters 1–4) introduces the site; background on the Paleoindian occupation of the southern Rocky Mountains, environment, and geology; and the research framework that sets up the subsequent chapters. In the introductory chapter, the editors offer a good summary of the various models that have shaped the history of research on settlement and mobility during the Folsom period. In Chapters 2 and 3, Andrews and coauthors provide ample data on the environment and geology of Mountaineer and the surrounding area, setting the stage for later discussions on lithic raw material availability and seasonality. Chapter 4 summarizes 11 years of excavation by multiple institutions, noting methodological consistencies and minor differences that influence analyses presented in subsequent chapters.

The second section (chapters 5–11) details the seven excavation blocks, including data on artifact assemblages and spatial statistical analyses of artifact and rock patterning. It is beyond my ability to offer much critique on the methods of their spatial analysis—especially in chapter 6 where Kalanka P. Jayalath and colleagues apply statistical tests to evaluate whether large rocks were randomly distributed or intentionally placed as “house rocks.” Their results, combined with the spatial clustering of artifacts, strongly support the identification of formal structures. These identifications are supported by data presented for other excavation blocks in chapters within this section that also show how substantially built the structures are. These findings are bolstered by Andrew R. Boehm and Richard J. Anderson’s description (chapter 5) of an effectively sterile excavation block that, although it was likely exponentially boring to excavate and subsequently analyze, provided foundational comparative data to show that the spatial patterning of rocks and artifacts observed in the other excavation blocks was not random but the product of cultural modifications.

The final section (chapters 12–14) shifts to artifact and faunal analyses. Meltzer and Metin I. Eren’s treatment of the Folsom projectile-point assemblage in chapter 12 is exhaustive, providing data that will be invaluable for comparative research for years to come. Chapter 13 extends this discussion to unifacial tool recycling, arguing that the reliance on local raw materials and intensive reuse reflect restricted access to more distant sources, which the authors hypothesize is because those sources were snowed in during the winter occupation. In chapter 14, Boehm details the relatively large and highly fragmented faunal assemblage recovered from the site. He discusses spatial patterns between the blocks, and he identifies likely marrow-processing locales and an assemblage rich in bison bone, among other conclusions. Notably, the assemblage does not include specimens commonly used to infer seasonality, such as fetal bone, making lines of evidence from the other chapters important for the winter occupation argument.

Readers who are not familiar with mountain archaeology may find it counterintuitive to think of establishing a camp atop a mountain during the long, cold, and often brutal winter in the southern Rockies. Throughout the volume, the authors provide subtle (and sometimes explicit) hints from various lines of evidence. The concluding chapter summarizes this evidence and other questions addressed throughout the preceding 14 chapters to provide a concise summary of research at Mountaineer. The editors convincingly position Mountaineer as a residential camp, emphasizing its uniqueness among Folsom sites, which are often dominated by large bison kill locales. They expertly argue—although readily admit the evidence is largely circumstantial—that the site is a winter-season occupation. The more compelling reasons include the strenuous hike needed to acquire and carry enough water in the summer (one could simply gather and melt snow in the winter), the substantially built structures that would be unnecessary in the warmer months, and the warmer temperatures during winter at higher elevations above the cold sink in the valley bottom below the site.

The data and arguments presented in this volume have broad implications for understanding the mobility and settlement of Paleoindian groups during the terminal Pleistocene and beyond. The volume’s strengths are numerous: its comprehensive data presentation, innovative spatial analysis methods, and thoughtful engagement with theoretical questions. It also serves as a model for collaborative research and organization of an edited volume. If there is a limitation, it lies in the printed illustrations, which suffer from reduced clarity compared to the digital edition’s color figures. Although this does not undermine the book’s usefulness and is no fault of the authors nor the actual figures, readers who prioritize visual detail may prefer the e-book—but those who prefer paper will not suffer.

The Mountaineer Site is a landmark contribution to Paleoindian studies and Rocky Mountain archaeology. It offers a wealth of data, unique methodological approaches, and interpretive insight that will inform Paleoindian research for years to come. This book belongs on the shelf of every archaeologist interested in Folsom lifeways, high-altitude adaptations, and the evolving picture of Paleoindian settlement systems in North America.