Archaeological Resonnaissane of Seven Seismic Lines Located in Northern End of Yucca Flat. Short Report

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE Cultural Resources Short Report Field Personnel: Robert Clerico, Dave Ferraro, Carl Lockett, Ronald Reno Dates of Field Examination: 29, 30 March 1982 Map References: Rainier Mesa Quad., Nevada-Nye Co., 7*5 min.; Oak Spring Quad., Nevada-Nye Co., 7*5 Tiin.; Tippipah Spring Quad., Nevada-Nye Co., 7-5 min.; Yucca Flat Quad., Nevada-Nye Co., 7-5 min.; Tippipah Spring Nature of Project: On March 28, 1982 the Desert Research Institute arch aeological field crew, operating out of the CET0 labs at the Nevada Test Site, was contacted by Mr. Larry Skousen of NTSS0. Mr. Skousen informed the crew chief that seven seismic lines in the Yucca Flat area needed to be surveyed as soon as possible. According to Mr. Skousen the seismic crews were on the site waiting for archaeological clearance. Explaining that the seismic crew was going to be paid while at the test site, Mr. Skousen asked whether it would be possible to clear the lines before the DRI crew's scheduled return to Reno on The DRI crew surveyed approximately 18.6 miles of seismic lines div line-7 8,750' for a total of 93,250' or 18.6 miles. Survey Area: The seismic lines are located in the northern end of Yucca Flat (Figure 1). The belted Range, mentioned by Steward (1938: p93-) BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Figure 1: Map showing the location of seismic lines 1, 2, and 3. Belted Range is just of map to the north.

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY as a population center, is located to the north of Yucca Flat. Steward attributes the increased population to the unusual number of springs. Steward (1938:p97) also mentions that the fall rabbit drive was usually held in the flats south of Whitrock Springs (see figure 1). According to Steward the winter villages clustered in the Belted'Range were interlinked with the populations at Beatty through intermarriage and cooperation. However, the population at Belted Range also associated with the Kawich Mountain People. Informants of Steward indicated that the language used by the Belted Range People differed slightly from that used at Beatty and that the Belted Range population was linked linguistically with the Desert Valley Population to the east. According to figure 1 of Steward's Basin-Plateau Aboriginal Sociopolitical Groups the Belted Range falls within the area defined as Shoshoni, but Steward suggests that the area was probably a mixture of Shoshoni and Paiute similar to Ash Meadows to the south. Survey Methods: The seismic lines surveyed were well flagged and easy to locate. The survey consisted of either one or two people walking the flagged line and recording all sites located in the survey corridor. Some of .the areas had been disturbed by previous construction. Those areas which were obviously disturbed were not surveyed. The number of people per seismic line was determined by the logistics envolved. The following is a list of the seismic lines, the methods used for each line and the findings. Lines 1, 2, and 3 are illustrated in figure 2, line 4 is shown in figure 3, and lines 5. 6, and 7 are seen BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Table 1 Methods of Survey and Findings of Seismic Lines in Yucca Flat, NTS, Nye County, Nevada One person from Mesa Road to Orange Road. One person from Orange Road to the end of line. Entire line had only single coverage. One person from Mesa Road WSW to the end of the line. The portion of the line ENE of Mesa Road was not surveyed. Line had only single One person from Mesa Road west to Orange Road. One person from Orange Road west to end of line and back to Orange Road. The portion of the line west of Orange Road had double coverage. The section of the line east of Mesa Road was not surveyed. One person, double coverage. The survey consisted of a transect from Orange Road east to the end of the line and then a return trip. The same person then surveyed from Orange Road west to the end of the line and returned to the truck. No site found No sites found One isolated obsidian No sites found BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Survey Methods Findings Double coverage. One person walked from the SE end of the line NW and then returned. The eastern portion of this line had triple coverage. One person walked from the telephone cable road east to the end of the line. That person was joined by the crew member who had finished walking the eastern portion of 1ine 7 and they both walked westward back to the telephone cable road. The portion of the line to the west of the telephone cable road had single coverage. This section of line was walked by the person that walked the western portion of line 7. One person walked east from the telephone cable road to the end of the line and joined with the person walking line 6 for the return trip to the telephone cable road. The western portion of 1ine 7 was walked by a single person. Upon completion of the section of this line the surveyor surveyed the western portion of line 6. The entire line 7 had single coverage BEST AVAILABLE COPY No site found Two sites recorded.

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CONTOUR INTERVAL 20 FEET j DATUM IS MEAN SEA LEVEL Mapped by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Geological Su Edited and published by the Geological Survey Conlrol by USCS. USC&GS, USCE. and Atomic Energy Commission Topography Irom aerial photographs by photogrammetnc methods ^ • Aerial photographs taken 1958. Field chock 1960 V/v Polyconic projection. 1927 North American datum 10,000-lodt grid based on Nevada coordinate system, central rone 1000 meter Universal Transveise Mercator grid licks. RAINIER MESA, NEV. rone 11, shown in blue

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY The isolated artifacts at S031882RC1 and S031882CL1 were collected. The sparse lithic scatter at S031882CL2 was collected for 5 meters of either side of the flagged center line creating a 10 meter corridor. The Archaeological Sites: stage two. Fragment is 3.ban wide, 2.5 cm long and 0.9cm thick. The artifact has been tumbled and .the edges are well rounded. The artifact was found on a well developed desert pavement. S031882RC1 (figure 4) - isolated obsidian biface fragment. Stage 4. Fragment is 3.8cm long, 2.5cm wide and 0.5cm thick. One face of the fragment has three parallel flake scars which extend well past the middle of the specimen. Edges of the artifact are well rounded and the faces are dull in luster with numerous small pits. The specimen has developed a new cortex. The artifact was found on a well developed S031882CL2 (figure 4) - this site is a long, very sparse lithic scatter along seismic line 6. A total of 12 artifacts were collected within a corridor 1.4km long by 10m wide. Eight (2/3) of the artifacts were located within the first 460 meters of the corridor. The assemblage at S03I882CL2 included a biface obsidian tool. The artifact appears to be a teardrop shaped projectile point. The dorsal side of the artifact has parallel oblique flaking which extends beyond the centerline of the artifact. The ventral surface has parallel flaking along the edges but the interior of the ventral surface is unmodified. The artifact is 3-5cm long, 2.5cm wide and 0.6cm thick. If the artifact is a completed tool it is of a type previously unnamed. BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY There Is one large cream colored chert flake which has had some post detachment modification on the ventral surface. There are numerous micro-flakes removed from some of the edges which suggest utilization but no conclusive determination The remainder of the assemblage from S031882CL2 consists of 10 obsidian flakes, 3 of which are primary decertification flakes, 1 primary reduction flake and 6 bifacial thinning flakes (Pippin). Also collected from the surface of S031882CL2 were several obsidian nodules ranging in size from rectangular shaped nodules (2x2x1 cm) to small (less than 1cm dia.) spherical nodules. Recommendations: The proposed seismic lines in the Yucca Flat area were surveyed according to BLM guidelines and three archaeological sites were found. Two of these were isolated finds and collected. The third site was a sparse lithic scatter and a corridor 10m wide was collected through it. Therefore, the sites should be'considered mitigated and no adverse archaeological impact is expected as long as construction is confined to the flagged routes. BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE Site Inventory Form 3. State ______ 4. County _5. Temporary Site No 11. Area ///‘f 12. Estimated Depth 13. Nature of Boundaries _ 14. Disturbance 15. Artifact Assemblage (a) Sample Method and Size 20. Slope of Site 22. Substrate and Bedrock djJUiUte&LJ BEST available copy

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7 TIPPIPAH SPRING QUADRANGLE / A (ft,- A A //^ BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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Site Inventory Form BEST AVAILABLE COPY 0^5. Temporary Site No, 13. Nature of Boundaries ____________________ 14. Disturbance •__ 15. Artifact Assemblage (a) Sample Method and Size _____ 20. Slope of Site z. /d 21. Exposure Direction 28. Recorded by 29. Date 30. Attachments/References BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE Site Inventory Form BEST AVAILABLE COPY 2. Permanent Site No. 11. Area 12. Estimated Depth 13. Nature of Boundaries 14. Disturbance BEST AVAILABLE COPY 20. Slope of Site to Color ho7?f to

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY REFERENCE NUMBER LOG PROJECT: SITE NUMBER:. BEST AVAILABLE COF Y

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Enclosed is the short cultural resources report for the survey of seven seismic lines located in Yucca Flat. BEST AVAILABLE COPY