Paleoarchaic Occupations in the Eastern Great Basin: Results of GIS Predictive Modeling for Identifying Paleoarchaic Sites in Southern Nevada

Summary

Within the Great Basin, site locations dating to the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition (PHT) are generally associated with specific geographical features. GIS is a useful tool for identifying geographical features likely to contain sites dating to the PHT period. Guided by previous Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene investigations in the Great Basin, a GIS predictive model combining topographical features likely to have been favorable for PHT period occupation was developed. Topographical features likely to have implications for PHT occupation included pluvial lake maximum extents and associated shore features, Holocene deposited alluvial sediments, drainages, predicted marsh zones, and current playa extents. These features were mapped and ranked; a sample of high-, medium-, and low-probability areas were then inventoried. Sample inventories were conducted within Delamar Lake, Dry Lake, and Kane Springs valleys, Lincoln County, Nevada, to identify cultural resources associated with the PHT period and test the accuracy of the GIS model. Here we present: 1) the methods used to develop the GIS model and sample inventory, and 2) the results of those inventories. Results indicate that model refinement based on additional environmental, topographical, and geologic inputs enables PHT site identification. Additionally, results may provide more fine-grained information regarding PHT foraging behavior and occupation strategies.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage