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SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted data recovery

excavations at 22 sites along a north to south corridor from Ely to Las

Vegas, Nevada for the ON Line 500 kV Transmission Line Project (ON

Line). This poster presents the results of excavations at nine sites within

Coyote Springs Valley (CSV), southeastern Nevada, including two Late

Basketmaker (BM)II (A.D. 1-500) to BMIII (A.D. 500-800) residential areas

and 16 Yucca roasting pits from five of the sites. Results reveal that the

area was utilized in particular for Joshua tree (Y. brevifolia) and Mojave

yucca (Y. schidigera) exploitation beginning in the BM II period and

continuing through the ethnohistoric period. Although large prehistoric

agave roasting pits are common in southern Nevada, direct evidence for

Yucca roasting is rare. Macrobotanical analyses and radiocarbon dates

from ON Line suggest early evidence for Yucca exploitation in the valley

corresponds to intensive residential occupations during the late BMII and

BMIII period. A hiatus in intensive utilization of the valley may occur from

the end of Pueblo (P) I through PIII (A.D. 800-1300), a period

corresponding to agricultural intensification along the Virgin River to the

south. During the Post-Pueblo Period (Post A.D. 1300), regular utilization

of the valley by small family bands for seasonal Yucca spp. exploitation is

evidenced by small and ephemeral yucca roasting pits that date well into

the historic period.

Introduction

Background

Methods

Radiocarbon Dates

The 32 radiocarbon dates obtained

from thermal features in CSV,

plotted in Figure 12, returned

dates clustered within the late BM

II to PI Period (A.D. 1-1000) and

the Post-Puebloan to historic

period (Post- A.D. 1300).

Radiocarbon dates are absent from

the Early PII to PIII periods (A.D.

1000-1300), suggesting the sites

were not intensively occupied

during the height of Puebloan

farming along the Virgin River

corridor to the south (Larson and

Michaelsen 1990).

Results

Conclusions

Nine of the 14 surface thermal features returned abundant burnt whole

and fragmented Joshua tree and/or Mojave yucca seeds, fruit walls,

and fruits suggesting they functioned as yucca roasting pits. Three of

the remaining surface thermal features had no burnt plant remains

suggesting they may have either been cleaned out after roasting or used

for other heating activities.

Three of the subsurface thermal features within Block 5 and three of

the features within Block 4 each returned a few burnt Yucca spp. seeds

or seed fragments. Unidentified burnt seeds were recovered from one

surbsurface hearth feature within Block 4. At this same site, three

surface features recovered burnt plant remains other than Yucca spp.

consisting of two with burnt Ambrosia spp. cones and one with a burnt

Ephedra spp. cone.

References Fowler, C. S. (1995). Some notes on Ethnographic subsistence systems in Mojavean

environments in the Great Basin. Journal of Ethnobiology 15(1):99-117.

Larson, Daniel O. and Joel Michaelsen (1990). Impacts of Climatic Variability and

Population Growth on Virgin Branch Anasazi Cultural Developments. American

Antiquity 55(2): 227-49.

Louderback, L., S.K.R. Kaser, and B.M. Pavlik (2012). Macrobotanical Analyses of

Feature Sediments from the ON Line Data Recovery Project, western and

southwestern Nevada.

McGuire, K., W. Hildebrandt, et al. (2010). Final Research Results for the Gold

Butte Study Area, Clark County, Nevada, Vol. I, Prehistoric Resources. BLM Report

No. 5-2617. Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Davis, California.

CSV was historically occupied by the Southern Paiute and falls within the

ethnographically documented “Yucca Complex” (Fowler 1995: 106).

During the Formative Period, it was occupied by Virgin Branch Anasazi

groups, or groups with access to Virgin Branch Anasazi ceramics, which

contrasts with the Fremont ceramic assemblages common in Parahangat

Valley 10 km to the north. The ON Line sites in CSV are situated along a

drainage that follows the bottom of alluvial fan and playa surfaces within

a creosote brush vegetation community. Mojave yucca is present sparingly

but Joshua tree is absent; the closest known Joshua Tree community is

located in Pahranagat Valley. Direct archaeological evidence of yucca

roasting is rare if not absent in southern Nevada. Roasting pits, generally

assumed to be used for Agave spp. roasting, are common, and substantial

evidence for agave roasting was found during recent excavations by

McGuire et al. (2010) within the Gold Butte Area, 50 miles south of CSV.

Ephemeral thermal features containing clusters of fire-cracked rock and

charcoal are common in surface assemblages in CSV; however, these

features appear much smaller and more ephemeral than the massive

roasting pits described in McGuire et al. (2010).

1. SWCA Environmental Consultants; 2. Washington University in St. Louis; 3. University of Washington

Amy M. Spurling1, Mary Ann Vicari1,2, Victor Villagran1, and Lisbeth A. Louderback3

Macrobotanical Results

Radiocarbon Dating

Thirty-two radiocarbon dates were obtained using the Accelerated Mass

Spectrometer (AMS) method through Beta Analytic, Inc. from 31 features

in CSV. Whenever possible, burnt seeds were submitted for AMS dating

from the features; associated charcoal was submitted in the absence of

burnt seeds.

Excavations

Data recovery investigations for ON Line in CSV consisted of the collection

of surface artifacts, subsurface testing of surface features and non-feature

areas, and block excavations to further define buried cultural deposits.

Excavations were conducted at nine sites along the linear project corridor

in CSV. Of these, eight had thermal features visible on the surface as

accumulations of fire cracked or fire altered limestone gravels and cobbles

and charcoal-stained soil. During testing, features were bisected and at

least half of the feature fill was collected for radiocarbon and

macrobotanical analyses, when possible.

Macrobotanical Analysis

Feature fill samples from 14 CSV

surface thermal features from

five sites and 13 subsurface

features excavated from within

two block areas at one site (Block

4 and Block 5) were submitted to

the Paleobotany Laboratory at

the University of Washington for

processing. After flotation

analysis to separate the heavy

fraction from the light fraction,

the light fractions were sieved

through 2mm mesh screen. The

samples were then analyzed for

macrobotanicals (seeds, fruits,

leaves, etc.). Burnt remains were

considered to be subsistence-

related while unburnt remains

may be modern contaminants

(Louderback et al. 2012).

Feature Excavations

The majority of surface features were identified as sparsely scattered to

lightly clustered fire cracked and fire affected local limestone and caliche

cobbles between 0.5 and 2.0 m in diameter. Some but not all features

were associated with charcoal stained soil. Most lacked rock rings.

Excavations of thermal features from six of the eight sites yielded shallow

basin shapes that were 10-30 cmbs deep. The surface features at the

remaining two sites in CSV were heavily deflated and yielded no feature

fill or associated charcoal fragments. Two occupational surfaces (Block 4

and Block 5) were found subsurface within coppice dune deposits at one

of the sites.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3 Figure 4. Map of Coyote Springs Valley with ON Line Project and Sites

Figure 5&6. Typical CSV surface thermal feature, pre-excavation and profile of bisected feature

Figure 7. Bisected surface feature Figure 8. Subsurface hearth feature

Figure 9. Burnt Yucca spp. seeds

Possible hiatus

Figure 12. Radiocarbon dates from CSV

Figure 11. 26LN5080 Block 5 Plan View

Figure 10. 26LN5080 Block 4 Plan View

Block 4, located in an alcove on a

dune crest, contained several

subsurface cultural features, including

a possible occupational surface, five

fire pits, and two indeterminate

thermal features. One of the features

was characterized by a high density of

chipped stone debitage with a

minimum of one Logandale Grayware

ceramic vessel.

Excavations at Block 5, located in a

low coppice dune, led to the

discovery of a prepared house floor

measuring 5-15 cm thick and at least

5 meters by 2 meters in area. Other

features in association with the floor

include five pit hearths, two

postholes, and multiple unidentified

pit features. Overall, the floor and

its subsidiary features, which date to

the Late BMII and BMIII periods,

likely represent the remnants of an

occupation surface and intensive use

area for cooking and other thermal

activities. Stratigraphic evidence

indicates multiple episodes of re-

use, possibly consistent with

reoccupation of the surface over a

period of time. The possible

postholes suggest the living surface

map have been roofed. The thick

horizon of diffuse charcoal fill

capping the living surface and

features may be the remnant of

burnt roof material.

Macrobotanical results paired with AMS dates from features at one site

within CSV suggests the valley was used, in particular, for Yucca spp.

(particularly Joshua tree and Mojave yucca) exploitation beginning in

the late BMII until the PI period. At this site, evidence of Yucca

exploitation comes from the excavation of two separate occupational

areas where living floors or remnants of pithouses were located during

subsurface testing of dunal areas. Block excavations of both of these

areas revealed intensive occupations during the Late BMII and BMIII

periods indicated by clusters of rock ring hearths, pits, and thermal

features in association with the possible living floors. The Yucca spp.

remains associated with these occupations consist of a few seeds found

in three thermal features present in each of the two block areas. The

association of the remains in intensive use areas with other subsistence

remains also present suggests Yucca was one of a wide breadth of

resources exploited during intensive BMII to BMIII occupation of the site.

The use of Yucca, and the intensive occupational use of the valley in

general, appears to decline from the Early PII to Pueblo III periods as is

shown by the lack of radiocarbon dates for this time frame. This

suggests the valley was not utilized intensively during the height of

agricultural intensification along the Virgin River corridor to the south.

Similar results have been documented for the Puebloan Period in the

Gold Butte Area (McGuire et al. 2010). It is possible that intensive

farming activities created scheduling issues for the collection and

processing of Yucca in CSV.

Beginning in the Post-Puebloan period and continuing into the historic

period, macrobotanical results from ephemeral thermal features

located on the surface of five sites in the valley provide archaeological

evidence of the “Yucca Complex” documented ethnographically. The

ephemeral nature and small extent of the features compared to the

large Agave roasting pits known to the south (McGuire et al. 2010)

suggest they were single-episode Yucca spp. roasting pits utilized by

small groups, likely occupying the area as highly residentially mobile,

small family bands during the ethnographically documented seasonal

round.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to the archaeological crew for ON Line; BLM

Ely District archaeologists Leslie Riley and Shawn Gibson; and Bruce Pavlik and Sydney Kaser who contributed to the macrobotanical analyses.