ABSTRACT

Silent Snake Springs is a small midden site located in Humboldt County, Nevada. Test excavations indicate that the major occupation at Silent Snake Springs occurred during the so-called Pinto time period. This chronology is supported by 25 obsidian hydration readings, and a single radiocarbon date of 4100 B.C. + 380 (corrected). Nearly all the identifiable faunal remains are bighorn sheep, and the associated tool assemblage indicates that hunting and butchering were the major aboriginal activites at Silent Snake Springs. A somewhat later component is characterized by the presence of Rose Spring series projectile points and grinding stones. The settlement pattern in the Silent Snake Springs region is poorly understood, but preliminary indications suggest a shift toward spring resources during the Altithermal period, roughly 5000 to 2500 B.C.