Archaeological Resources Located on Windward and Leeward Sand Dunes Adjacent to Playas and Ephemeral Lakes: A Limited Case Study from the Western Shoreline of the Salton Sea

Summary

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

There are many locations in Southern California where ephemeral lakes formed during the Late Pleistocene, then desiccated during the latter part of the Holocene: the Cronese Lakes, Lake Manly in Death Valley, Lake Thompson near Lancaster, and many others. Some geological studies have shown that prevailing winds become turbulent over desert flats and as a result pick up and carry sand and silt loads, which are then dropped when the wind’s turbulence is lessened (ie: over a large lake body). Windward-side dunes near ephemeral lakes can then be formed. In the extreme southeastern portion of California, Lake Cahuilla was last filled with Colorado River water in A.D. 1700 to a point about 42 feet above sea level. As a result, dunes found on the western side of the former lake margin may be of recent origin. Once inflows were cut off, the Lake would have shrunk in size, and it is possible that dune development moved east toward the regressing shoreline. A case study from this area shows that prehistoric tribal groups found the dunes a good place to build habitation structures. They were likely utilized while the western shore of Lake Cahuilla was accessed for food and water.

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): 25631