ISSN 1041-4479 Archaeologist Volume 7, Number 1, 1989 GOTHIC OBELISK CROSS-VAUL" OBELISK TABLET PULPIT SCROLL : bilTI .—-,.:, LAWN-TYPE BLOCK RAISED-TOP INSCRIPTION Traditional types of grave-markers (from FrancavigUa 1971), (see article by Reno and Reno, page 14). Nevada Archaeological Association "_Yodo BOARD Archo_ologlcol Association The Board of the Nt'l'ada ArciJaeufogi:'t is e lected by the members of th e Nevada Archaeo logical Association. The Board appoints the editor of the Nfllada A rchaevlogJ5t for a term of three yea rs. "{h e de!' IKfI ftl' the NAA It):?!' il' a ~ adapted by Robert [ [:;tUrt fron! a Garfield Flat ,' <'i roglypll. Member Bob Elston NEVADA ARC HA EOLOGICAL ASSN. MEMBERSHIP Mi.'mbt.·r Robert Leavitt NEVA DA ARC HAEOLOGICAL ASS". Th(' \leva d~ A rchaeologicaJ Association is an incorpo­ ratt"'d, n o n ~ pr o fjt organization regi ~ t (' r (' d in th e S tat l~ of Member Ramona r~ t~no f',; evaJ a, and has no paid employees. Ml' mbt" rship is opt'n NEVADA ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSN. to any pe rson interes'.('d in archael1!ogy and it s alli ed scie nces, and in the co nservation of archaeological Me mber Jean Myles resources. Re~u es t s for membership and dues should be ~ EVA DA ARC HAEO LOGIC \L ASSN. sent to th E> treasurer whose address is li sted be lo\\', Ma k(.· all cht.'cks and money orders payable to the Nevada An:hae­ Memb~r Dianne Je nnings ologica l Association. ME'mb('rship cards will be issued on C HURC HILL CO UNTY CHAPTER paym e nt of Ju('s, i> nd active mcmbers receive subsc ription 'JEVA DA ARC HAEO LOG IC AL ASSN. to the Nevada Archat'vi(Jgist. Subscription is by membership only, but individual or back issues may be purchased Member Helen Mortenson sepa rately. THE ARCHAEO-NEVADA SOCIETY N.AA OFFICERS BACK ISSUES President Helen Mortenson 876-6944 Back issues of the Nevada A rc hafOi(lgi ..:; t may be 3930 EI Camino Road ordered through Ramona Reno, P.O. Box 105, Silver La s Vegas, ~ V 89103 City, Ne vada 89428. Checks or money orders should be made out to the Nevada Archaeological Association. Secretary Ramona Reno 84 7-0334 Volume 1 (one issue), and Volume 2, Numbers 1 and 2, P.O . Box 105 are available at $3.00 each issue. Volume 3, Number 1 Sil ver City, ~V 89428 and (ollowing issues are $4.00. Treasurer Robert Leavitt FUTURE ISSUES 1739 Carita Ave. Henderson, Nevada 89015 Manuscripts submitted to the Nez10da ArchoeoloS1~1 should follow the style guide of the A pri!, 1983 issue of Edito r Dr. Gary Haynes 784-6704 American Antiquity. Manuscripts should be typed and Dept. of Anthropologv double spaced throughout, in cl uding notes and bibli­ University of Nevada, Reno ography. and illustrations should be camera-ready with Reno. Nevada 89557 a caption typed on a st>parate sheet of paper, also double-spaced. So m ething less than thest> standards DUES \.... ,11 be accepted relu ctantly if what you have to say is Student . 5.00 more important than the format t..' xpressed above. Acti ve 10.00 Acti ve Family . 12.00 More manuscripts re lating to Nevada archaeology Supporting . 25.00 and anthropo logy are soli ci ted . Sponsor .. ... 50.00 Pa tron . 100.00 All "Stude nt" through "Patron" mt'mbers rt' ct> ivl' ~ ub ­ Copyright by the Nevada Archaeological Association, scriptio n to the Nn1aJa Ardwt'(llogi..;l, th ,-' journal of th/.' Summer 1989. Typ t:'~ ettin g by Jac k G ib~on, \Jevada Association. State Museum Docent Council. tlEVflDfi Archaeologist Volume 7, Number 1 1989 EDITOR'S PAGE The Nevada Archeologist (once again) must apologize to Thomas Stafford. In Volume 6, number 1, his name was left out of the acknowledgements in an article and in Volume 6, number 2, his name was misspelled due to a typographical error. In another printing error in the last issue, the scale bar was erased from the photograph on page 27. This issue includes a diverse selection of papers covering prehistoric as well as historic archeology, and one article that discusses archeological method and interpretation. I hope to keep a balance in subject matter and I will be trying to find ways to improve our printing quality and the journal's overall attractiveness. Special thanks go to Janis Klimowicz, editorial assistant, who singlehandedly creates the Nevada Archeologist by re-typing every submission in proper format, proofreading all pages, and ensuring that the illustrations, text, and tables are correctly arranged. TABLE OF CONTENTS Archeological Research Along the Colorado River in Southern Nevada Kevin Rafferty. .. 2 Notes on a Clovis Point From the Black Rock Desert, Nevada Donald R. Tuohy....................................................... 11 The Historic Cemetery at Silver City, Nevada: Recording Methods and Initial Findings Ramona L. Reno and Ronald L. Reno ..................................... 14 The Concept of "Carrying Range"; A Method for Determining the Role Played by Woodrats in Contributing Bones to Archeological Sites Bryan Scott Hockett .................................................... 28 Thin-Section Analysis of Mission Period Pottery from Baja California, Mexico Donald R. Tuohy and Mary B. Strawn .................................... 36 AICHEOLOGICAL RESEAOCH AJ:.(N; THE COLORADO RIVER IN SOUTHERN ~ Kevin Rafferty Division of Anthropological Studies Environmental Research Center University of Nevada - Las Vegas Introduction Site 26Ck1405 (Figure 2) is a lithic scatter accompanied by four Despite the relatively early fragile circular or oval pattern advent of archeological fieldwork features (that is, rock rings along the Colorado River (Rogers and/or circular depressions). The 1929, 1939, 1945), little is known artifact scatter measured 17.5 m concerning the prehistory of the (N-S) by 20 m (E-W) at its largest region. In July, 1986, the Division dimensions. The first feature, A, of Anthropological Studies conducted is on the western edge of the site a mitigation project at two and is a 2.5 m long linear archeological sites on the west bank arrangement of cobbles. A previous of the river along its terraces. report (Brooks et al. 1976) The sites in question -- 26Ck1405 described the feature as a and 26Ck1407 -- were investigated semicircle with an opening on the via mapping, photography, and the western side, but recent bulldozer surface collection of artifacts. blading that occurred west of the The nature of these sites has site destroyed a portion of this provided valuable data and insights feature. Feature B is an oval into patterns of lithic procurement depression or ring that is bordered in the upper portion of the Lower by basalt and quartzite cobbles, Colorado River area. The and that measures 1.5 m (N-S) by procurement patterns are probably 1.75 m (E-W) on the eastern edge of age-old ones that held over many the alluvial terrace (which is also thousands of years (see Rafferty the eastern edge of the site). 1986a) • Feature C, 1 m north of B, is an oval depression with the desert pavement removed from the interior. Site Descriptions am The cobbles and gravels from this EnviromEOtal Setting pavement were placed as a border around the depression. The feature The sites in question are measures 1. 75 m (N-S) by 2 m (E-W). located on an alluvial terrace The fourth feature, D, an oval ring overlooking the Colorado River south of basalt cobbles and low gravel of Laughlin, in Clark County, Nevada walls, measures 1 m (N-S) by 3 m (Figure 1). Both were recorded by (E-l'i) at its maximum dimensions. earlier surveys (Brooks et al. 1976; Rafferty 1986a), but a decision to The second site, 26Ck1407 conduct data recovery activities on (Figure 3), was originally these sites was made only after the described as a 15 m2 lithic scatter Bureau of Reclamation decided to situated on a small gravel bench or conduct open pit gravel-mining in finger of the alluvial terrace the subject area. (Brooks et al. 1976). Redefinition of the site-rndicated a larger 2 \ \ __ z-_ " ( o ,• •, • \ ;; ...• ...• /f~­ ;, ,i ~o'&, OJ s. 'lJ ~~ ~ -t:";i't"~ , \ I • I ...• '\ ( ( « \ ( i ,• ( • ...• I ·o "W .....~~£1%3 ·o • < E / " . ' ~ . ; / " • 0 / W I l­ /. (/) 0 I ~ . 0 I ·0 ~ o ...... ! . / Ig)§ ~ i ! I ; l E o • I ; :;0 ~• '1 I a ~ 1----------- I I I I I I I I I I I f----­ ___z- __ I I I 3 I SITE 26CK 1407 , ------- Figure 3 Site 26Ck1407 lithic scatter that measured 17 m heavily rolled and patinated. The (H-S) by 25 m (E-W). Contained surface materials are cemented into within it is a single circular a weak desert pavement typical of depression with low gravel walls, 2 this portion of the Mojave Desert m in diameter, at the northern end (Brooks et al. 1976, 1977; Longwell of the site, along the terrace edge. et a1. 1965):" As indicated, the sites are The most common native plants situated on the second alluvial along the river flOodplain and the terrace on the west bank of the first terrace below the sites are Colorado River. This terrace is at arrowweed (Pluchea sericea), the base of an alluvial fan that mesquite (Prosopis juliflora and ~ originates in the Newberry Mountains pubescens), and the introduced salt west of the project area. The cedar (Tamarix pendantra). The alluvium ranc)8s in age from Pliocene terrace upon which the sites are to Recent, underlain by lenticular located is dominated by creosote lenses or beds of gravel, silt, and (Larrea tridentata) and burrobush clay. The soils of the terraces are (Franseria dumosa), accompanied by coarse-grained and are derived from saltbush (Atriplex sps.), catclaw the granitic deposits located in the (Acacia greggii), snakeweed Newberry Mountains.