Combining underwater and terrestrial research approaches in the Great Basin Desert, Walker Lake, Nevada

Abstract

Underwater and inundated prehistoric archaeology is usually celebrated because it highlights unique cultural behaviors (e.g., Windover and Old World bogs), preserves organic materials exceptionally well (e.g., Little Salt Springs and Bouldnor Cliff), or identifies early human presence (e.g., Page Ladson and Hoyo Negro). However, as research has progressed, it is increasingly clear that underwater archaeology is an essential tool for understanding how humans adapt to changing landscapes and the water/land boundaries around them. When appropriate, archaeologists should consider the dynamics of changing water levels, where nearby human occupations may preserve, and whether terrestrial or inundated landforms may help answer research questions. In the Great Basin USA, Nevada’s Walker Lake is an ideal location for applying this approach. As a lake that has undergone repeated rise and fall over the last 15,000 years, research on human behavior and regional adaptations must consider landforms that have been subject to inundation and are now above and/or below the current waterline. This paper discusses identification and analyses of sites around Walker Lake, investigations revealing intact buried terrestrial landforms under the lake, and how this research provides an improved picture of human behavior and landscape adaptations in the Western Great Basin.

Keywords:

• Great Basin
• geoarchaeology
• underwater archaeology
• sub-bottom profiling
• spatial analysis

Acknowledgements

I want to thank the Nevada Bureau of Land Management for facilitating access to the research area. I am particularly grateful for State archaeologist Bryan Hockett and Carson City District Archaeologist Jason Wright for their support. I acknowledge the Florida State University Geoarchaeology Lab for providing research space and the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research for allowing me to use equipment and software during post-field analyses. This research would not have been possible without assistance of multiple students from the Texas A&M University Department of Anthropology including, Adam Burke, Jacob Frisbee, Kristi Hinton, Danielle Lynch, Jordan Pratt, and Morgan Smith. A.J. Van Slyke and Hunter Whitehead assisted from the University of West Florida as well as Loren Christian and Trevor Hough from East Carolina University. This research was possible due to the exceptional research and financial support from the Texas A&M University Department of Anthropology and the Center for the Study of the First Americans. Dr. Kelly Graf was essential for successfully planning and implementing the fieldwork as well as directing my efforts in the lab. Drs. Ted Goebel, Chris Houser, and Mike Waters were also helpful for directing field and research efforts. Financial support for the project was provided by three Texas A&M Anthropology Department Travel/Research Grants, the Roy J. Shlemon Student Field Geoarchaeology Award granted through the Center for the Study of the First Americans, and an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant (#1741038). Finally, I am eternally grateful to Dr. Sunshine Thomas and Dr. Jessi Halligan for supporting this research during all its many stages.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.