The Prehistory of Gold Butte

"The Prehistory of Gold Butte uses a theoretical perspective rooted in human behavior ecology and other foraging models to present the results of one of the largest and most comprehensive archaeological investigations ever undertaken in southern Nevada, involving the systematic survey of more than 31,000 acres, the documentation of more than 377 sites, and the excavation of nine prehistoric sites. Gold Butte--at the crossroads of the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau in southern Nevada--has a 12,000-year record of human occupation with archaeological elements that can be traced to all three culture zones. Dramatic developments occurred in this area of the Desert West. Farmers suddenly appeared in the Virgin River basin about 1,600 years ago. At such iconic sites as Lost City, Main Ridge, and Mesa House, full village and agricultural life developed over the span of a few hundred years only to completely vanish by AD 1250 after a series of droughts and other cultural disruptions. The Patayan held sway for several hundred years, between AD 1100 and 1500, but didn't advance much beyond the Colorado River corridor. Finally, the Southern Paiute arrived and occupied