Earth Day Downtown Summerlin 2022
April 2022
NVFCP was invited by the Howard Hughes Corporation to host a booth on April 22 and 23 at the Happy Earth Day Festival in Downtown Summerlin. This event was attended by thousands of people, many of whom did not know that historic trash is protected. We explained how archaeologists use the trash from the past to piece together history. NVFCP created a brochure that included information on how, with population growth and single use items, we need people to reduce, reuse, and recycle. As a way to encourage reuse, we handed out wild sunflower seeds for people to grow in used glass containers. The brochure can be found here. We had a great time speaking with the public and other vendors and educators at the event.
Many thanks to the Howard Hughes Corporation for providing the booth space, printing the handouts, and covering the cost of the sunflower seed packets for this event!
Graffiti Removal at White River Narrows Archaeological District
April 2022
Executive Director, Rayette Martin and Volunteer, Brooke Weyandt removed scratched graffiti from an archaeological site at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. The scratched human-like figure was near a number of pictographs (rock painting). The site is seen from the highway so it gets hit with vandalism fairly regularly. NVFCP even made a video of spray paint graffiti removal at the sites in 2021. The video can be seen on NVFCP's YouTube Channel here.
It is important that the public does not try to remove graffiti. Oftentimes well intentioned individuals make the graffiti more difficult to remove and they may not be able to see faded pictographs or petroglyphs (rock pecking). Please report any graffiti at archaeological sites on public lands to the Nevada Site Stewardship Program's online reporting page here.
A Brief History of Lincoln County, Nevada
April 2022
Harry Konwin, Archaeologist, Bureau of Land Management Caliente Field Office
A Brief History of Lincoln County, Nevada.
Folks have been trudging around Lincoln County, Nevada for at least 12,000 years. They have left evidence of their presence from the valleys to the mountains in the high desert terrain. They came here as nomads and some stayed as pioneers. The artifacts range from the stone tools and art of the prehistoric inhabitants to cabins in the woods and ghost towns built by European settlers. In this brief presentation we'll see the span of human subsistence in this still rural landscape.
To watch a recording of this Zoom Webinar click here.
Pine Grove Cemetery Project
April 2022
NVFCP, Nevada Site Stewards, and members of the OHV community, worked together to survey and plan for a proposed fence to keep vehicles from accidentally driving over unmarked graves in the Pine Grove Cemetery. Pedestrian access will be encouraged and informational signs will be placed on the fence.
Rock Art Studies & Rock Art Styles in Clark County, Nevada
March 2022
Dr. Kevin Rafferty, Professor Emeritus, College of Southern Nevada
Rock art is a resource that has experienced a burst of interest by researchers in the last 30 years. The rock art record of southern Nevada is a rich and varied one, with the experiences and symbolism of multiple cultures and time periods (Archaic, Virgin Anasazi, Patayan, Paiute, etc.) being expressed in numerous locations throughout our local region. This talk will attempt to do four things: 1) present a brief history of rock art research from the 19th century to the present day; 2) discuss approaches to rock art recording and dating; 3) demonstrate and present the varieties of rock art styles in southern Nevada; and 4) discuss rock art in the context of prehistoric subsistence.
A recording of this presentation is posted on NVFCP's YouTube Channel. Click here to see the video.
On the Late Prehistory of the Mojave Desert
February 2022
Mark Q. Sutton, University of San Diego
It is commonly assumed that people lived in the Mojave Desert full-time over most of the Holocene, apart from the time between 5,000 and 4,000 BP when it is believed that the desert was largely abandoned. Research into Late Holocene adaptations in the Mojave Desert invariably model settlement and subsistence systems to include the presence of permanent or semi-permanent villages or base camps, even though such sites have never been definitively identified.
An examination of the Mojave Desert data unencumbered by the premise of permanent villages suggests that none were present; that during the Late Holocene, the bulk of the Mojave Desert was effectively a large common pool resource zone wherein a large number of resource patches were utilized by a number of upland- or river-oriented groups living along the edges of the desert.
Video link.
Archaeology Day at Lost City Museum
January 2022
NVFCP participated in Archaeology Day at the Lost City Museum in Overton. 102 guest to the museum were treated to a variety of hands on activities from a mock excavation to ceramic refitting. There were 40 individuals who volunteered to assist with the booth activities including federal agency archaeologists, advocational archaeology and preservation groups, and university students. NVFCP focused on historic artifacts with a speed dating activity that taught participants about historic vs modern cans. Each year new items make it on the historic artifact list.
Nevada State Parks: A World to Explore & Preserve
January 2022
Arthur Krupicz, Historic Preservation Specialist- Nevada State Parks
The Nevada State Parks system includes 27 units that represent the best of Nevada’s diverse nature and history. Through these locations, State Parks provides many different opportunities to Nevada’s communities and our state’s many visitors. Among the many attractions within parks, historic resources play a major role. From history-oriented parks like Ft. Churchill to small, hidden places in the backcountry, Nevada’s history is everywhere. This is part of the attraction of parks, but also a preservation challenge. As more people visit parks, well-known sites can experience damage; while previously unknown sites become exposed to risk. This discussion will introduce some of the diverse historic resources within the State Park system and explore ideas for preserving them, in collaboration with our citizens and communities.
Video link
The Wishbone Site: First Evidence for Human Use of Tobacco
December 2021
The Wishbone Site: A Pleistocene Hearth from the Eastern Great Basin with the First Evidence for Human Use of Tobacco
Daron Duke, Ph.D., RPA with Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc.
In 2015, a cultural resource management survey for the U.S. Air Force identified a relict fire feature eroding from the floor of Utah's Great Salt Lake Desert. Radiocarbon dating places its use at ~12,300 years old, making this the earliest open‐air hearth found in the Great Basin. Within and immediately surrounding the hearth, we found waterfowl bone refuse, Haskett-style projectile points, and other tools, providing a critical new perspective on people's lives in this region during the Pleistocene. Of particular interest was the finding of charred tobacco seeds among the hearth contents, evidencing human use of this plant well before previously established and relatively soon after people arrived in the Americas.
To watch a video of this webinar click this link.
Hump & Bump Logandale Trails
October 2021
NVFCP was invited to have an outreach booth at the 2021 Annual Hump and Bump event at Logandale Trails. For two days, full size trucks, Jeeps, and other vehicles enjoyed different trail runs based on ability and interest. Our booth was visited by many attendees that go out and visit archaeological and historic sites across Nevada. They all walked away from our booth with information on how to report any damages they find when they are out exploring.