Landscapes and Land Use along Soda Playa in the Mojave Desert

Abstract

The settlement and subsistence practices of the Late Prehistoric Period occupants of the Mojave Sink correspond to the availability of specific resources across the landscape and changed in response to climatic conditions. In this article, we propose that Late Prehistoric archaeological sites in the Mojave Sink are part of a larger regional pattern of landscape use and thus should be viewed on a regional scale to interpret land use patterns. This approach is well suited to the Mojave Sink due to the seasonal availability of local plant, animal, and water resources in the region and the potential variation present during wet and dry periods. The significance of this study is to determine the land use patterns of the Mojave Sink as a region, rather than the patterns at individual sites.