PROJECTS

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Navajo Transmission Project

EPG archaeologists surveyed the proposed Navajo Transmission line through Nevada and into portions of western Arizona. During the survey, EPG identified over 10 newly recorded sites and over 100 isolated occurrences. Within Nevada, EPG archaeologists identified an important site, 26CK6598, on a ridge top overlooking Lake Mojave. Site 26CK6598 is a temporary campsite containing 19 artifact concentrations and 5 features. The site is important to the understanding of Nevada prehistory because site types other than chipped stone scatters in this area are rare. While understanding of the site is limited by the observational information from the survey, the prehistoric inhabitants probably camped there while they procured resources such as fish, medium sized mammals, and various types of plants.

A few isolated occurrences were identified within Nevada that were of particular interest. One, a 50-caliber shell casing dated to 1943, is evidence of the military training that occurred within southern Nevada during World War II. Another interesting isolated occurrence is a rock cairn with one small railroad tie that marks a historic mining claim. Within the rocks, EPG archaeologists uncovered a historic tobacco tin with a folded piece of paper that was too fragile to examine in the field. It is likely that this paper represents a mine claim, which is common to rock cairn features of this type.