Evidence for Virgin Anasazi presence in the Las Vegas Valley and adjacent areas (Nevada)

Olivine-tempered ceramics are a characteristic artifact of Virgin Anasazi culture. The ceramics are found in the Las Vegas area, more than 70 km west of permanent Anasazi settlements in the Moapa Valley. Little is known regarding Anasazi utilization of this area, since most investigators have focused on the permanent settlements. I examined 25 ceramic assemblages from the Las Vegas vicinity, calculated the frequencies of olivine-tempered sherds in each, and noted the geographical distribution of the wares. The evidence does not support down-the-line exchange, but shows concentrations of olivine-tempered wares in the north Las Vegas Valley, Paradise Valley, and further west in the Spring Mountains and Pahrump Valley. The number of sherds recovered does not indicate long-term habitation by people who consistently utilized pottery. The low frequency (6.5-percent) of decorated olivine-tempered wares provides support for the hypothesis that exchange of utilitarian wares brought olivine-tempered ceramics into the area.