Space and Place: Patterned and Persistent Land Use at Stump Springs, NV

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Stump Springs is a persistently utilized spring site located along the western border of southern Nevada within the Mojave Desert. Stump Springs is located adjacent to two notable trails, nestled within a dune field of spring mounds. Archaeological investigations were done at the site as part of a field school through the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to examine the nature and extent of site use over time as part of our ongoing research on past land use in the Mojave Desert. We recorded over 100 thermal features along with an extensive lithic and ground stone scatter. Evidence of patterned and persistent use emerged as the site was mapped and features were recorded. Use of Stump Springs spans from the Archaic through the Late Prehistoric, when the spring dried. Archaic and Late Prehistoric use are discrete and suggest a shift in desired resources over time. The site is located along the Southern Fox Song Trail, a pilgrimage trail which extends into the nearby Spring Mountains. These factors have made Stump Springs a space of cultural memory and a persistent place in the past.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52957