Faunal Exploitation Practices of Prehistoric Peoples: A Comparative Study of Three Rockshelter Sites along the California Wash in Southern Nevada

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The archaeology of the California Wash in southern Nevada, north of Las Vegas, is not yet well understood, particularly when compared to contemporaneous occupations. Previous excavations at three sites located in the Dry Lake Range along the Wash resulted in the recovery of a number of artifacts, including lithics, ceramics, and faunal remains that enhance our understanding of Prehistoric and Protohistoric occupations of the California Wash. Excavations in the 1970s, in preparation for the construction of the Navajo-McCullough Transmission Line, yielded faunal remains from three rockshelter sites. Dates indicate a middle Pueblo II occupation at two sites, 26CK1081 and 26CK1112, as well as dates extending into the Paiute occupations. Early analyses indicate that these sites were likely used as processing areas for agave and yucca. In addition, 26CK1112, has a Late Archaic occupation. Analysis of extant collections, curated at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s Southern Nevada Federal Repository, allows researchers to apply modern analytical methods to older data in order to gain a better understanding of past subsistence practices. This poster presents the results of our analysis, and discusses the implications for understanding Late Archaic and Puebloan occupations in southern Nevada.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24936