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.