Lake Mead Virtual Museum

Awl Fragments

Bone
Circa Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
Top: L 5cm; Middle: L 7.5cm; Bottom: L 6.4cm

Awls were used to pierce leather or skins, as well as for sewing. To manufacture bone awls, one end of a pencil-shaped bone was tapered to form a point.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3468 (top), LAKE 3467 (middle), and LAKE 3466 (bottom)

Projectile Points

A: Unidentified projectile point C: Unidentified projectile point B and D: Desert Side-Notched Projectile Point AD 1150 to 1850
A: L 3.0cm, W 0.9cm; B: 2.5cm, 1.5cm; C: L 2.7, W 0.9cm; D: L 2.0cm, W 1.0cm

The Paiutes settled in the area of the Colorado River, including Southern Nevada, California, Utah, and Northern Arizona, around A.D. 1100-1200. The Paiutes mainly subsisted on hunting and gathering, as well as some irrigation agriculture.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3605 (A), LAKE 3366 (B), LAKE 3603 (C); LAKE 3354 (D)

Arrow Shaft

Wood
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 4.0cm, W 0.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3428

Projectile Point

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 2.5 cm, W 1 cm

Native Americans chose the type of stone to work with based on its suitability for a particular purpose, durability, and accessibility.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3896

Projectile Point

Circa: 7000 to 1300 B.C.
L 4.2 cm, W 2.1cm

Elko Eared projectile point.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3903

Stone sharpened into a point, with the point broken off.

Projectile Point Tip

Stone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 3.6 cm, W 1.3cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3911

Dart Point

Stone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 6.8 cm, W 1.3cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3916

Awl

Bone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 4.0cm, W 1.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3355

Red-on-Buff Bowl

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 7.8cm, D 19cm, Base D 10cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23072

Aged cracked bowl with patterns on the inside.

Red-on-Buff Bowl

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 7.8cm, D 19cm, Base D 10cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23072

Top down view of aged cracked bowl with patterns on the inside.

Mano

Fine-grained Basalt
Circa: Pueblo II AD 900-1150
L 11cm, W 56cm

Mano is Spanish for hand. They were used as a grinding stone to grind foodstuffs, such as corn kernels into a paste or flour before cooking. Manos were used in conjunction with a metate.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3845

Bird-Shaped Pendant

Bone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
4.3 x 1.2 x 2.1cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3552

Bone carving shaped like a bird on a piece of string.

Pendant

Shell
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 3.0cm, W 3.15cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3472

Pendant

Bone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 3.0cm, W 0.4cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3455

Pendant

Shells
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Shell 2.0cm, D 14cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3333

Pendant

Abalone shell
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
4.8 x 4 x 4cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3458

Pendant

Shell
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
3.0 x 2.8cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3461

Pitcher

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 22cm, Base D 18cm, Mouth D 9.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 2238

Paiute Snare

Wood and yucca fibers
Circa: 1830s
L 9cm, D 0.95cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3510

Pot

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 15cm, Mouth D 8cm, Base D 10cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23075

Pot

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 14cm, Mouth D 9.5cm, Base D 9cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23076

Aged cracked pot with large piece missing from it.

Pendant

Shell
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 3.4cm, W 2.8cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3470

Hole in a piece of a rectangle-shaped shell.

Grooved Arrow Shaft Straightener

Circa: Pueblo II AD 900-1150
L 7.5cm

This grooved sandstone was used to straighten and shape arrow shafts.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3827

Notched Stone

Granite or sandstone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 7-9cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3828

Olivella Shells

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 2cm, W 1cm

Olivella shells were popular among the Ancestral Pueblo people to make beads for jewelry.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3302

Painted Wood Fragment

Wood
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
3.5cm x 1.8cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3356

Pendant

Shell
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 2.6cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3323

Grooved Axe

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 14cm, Circumference 19cm

The groove in the middle of the fine-grained basalt is where a wooden handle would have been tied to the axe.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3671

Grooved Axe

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 14cm, Circumference 19cm

The groove in the middle of the fine-grained basalt is where a wooden handle would have been tied to the axe.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3671

Angled view of stone with large indent in the middle.

Vessel Handle

Clay
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 2.3cm, W 1.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3930

Hatch Cover Fragment

Sandstone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 15.5cm, W 8.5cm, H 3.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 15025

Hearth Stick Fragment

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
11 x 1.7 x 0.8 cm

Hardwood sticks were used as drills, as they were spun on the hearth stick by hand or bow. This created friction and heat that were used to ignite tinder in campfires.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

Lake 3430

Jug Fragments

Earthenware
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850

A: D 15cm, H 8cm; B: L 8cm, H 5.3; C: L 7.5, H 4.5; D: L 7cm, H 13cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23074

Mano

Vesicular Basalt
Circa: Pueblo II AD 900-1150
H 20cm, L 10cm, W 4.5cm

Mano is Spanish for hand. They were used as a grinding stone to grind foodstuffs, such as corn kernels into a paste or flour before cooking. Manos were used in conjunction with a metate.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3480

Turquoise Beads

Stone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
D 0.3-0.4cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3331

Eight pieces of turquoise with holes in them.

Painted Bowl

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 9cm, D 22.5cm, Base 14.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23703

Aged cracked bowl with large piece missing from it and patterns on the inside.

Painted Bowl

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 9cm, D 22.5cm, Base 14.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 23703

Top down view of aged cracked bowl with large piece missing from it and patterns on the inside.

Ball-shaped Rock

Limestone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
D 6.4cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3806

Incised Stone

Red sandstone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 12.5-13cm, W 10.5-13cm, T 4.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3901

Piece of stone with dial pattern indented on it.

Incised Stone

Red sandstone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 12.5-13cm, W 10.5-13cm, T 4.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3901

Side view of piece of stone with dial pattern indented on it.

Cottonwood Triangular Projectile Point

Stone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
3.0cm x 1.7cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3339

Yellow and white stone sharpened into a point.

Bracelet Fragment

Shell
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 4.1cm, W 0.5 - 1.0cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3974

Piece of shell carved into a half moon shape.

Bone Die

Bone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 3.5cm, H 1.1cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3359

Carved bone with an indent in the middle.

Awl

Bone
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 7.0cm, W 0.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3360

Magnesium Silicate Beads

Stone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
D 0.6cm overall, D 0.2cm hole

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3332

Over a dozen pieces of stone carved round with holes in them.

Shell Beads

Shell
Circa Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 0.13cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3446

Seven pieces of shell with holes in them.

Biface

Tan Chert
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 9.5cm, W 6.5cm

A biface is a stone tool which has been flaked on both sides and could be utilized as a knife, scraper, or preform to a projectile point.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 20058

Corn Cob

Zea mays
Circa Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
L 6.5cm, D 2cm

The Ancestral Pueblo people grew corn, beans and squash along the Virgin and Muddy rivers. The combination of these three foods provided much of their nutritional needs. They practiced their agriculture on mesa tops and also along river banks that would seasonally flood and water the crops.

https://www.nps.gov/band/historyculture/ancestral-pueblo-farming.htm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3315

Pottery Material

Clay and silica
Circa: Pueblo II Period AD 900-1150
D 4cm

This ball of unfired clay and silica was most likely being stored for later use to make pottery. Various tempers were used in the Lake Mead area to hold the clay together while it was being fired. The type of temper used was often dependent on the availability of the resources. Examples of temper used in the Lake Mead area includes sand, crushed rock (olivine, andesite, and limestone), and crushed pottery sherds.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3832

Milling Stone or Metate

Coarse volcanic rock
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
H 12cm, D 18cm

A metate is a milling stone used in conjunction with a stone mano to grind foodstuffs such as corn kernels into a paste or flour before cooking.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3481

Dice Stick

Wood
Circa: Pueblo II AD 900-1150
5.2 x 0.9cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3358

Piece of wood with small hole in the middle.

Desert Side-Notched or Elko Side-Notched Projectile Point

White Chert
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - A.D. 1850
2.1 x 1.1 x 0.1cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 16796

Yucca Fiber Braided Rope

Yucca brevifolia
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
47cm long

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3327

Potter's Tool

Black-on-White
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
D 7.6cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3435

Jeddito Black on Yellow

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Top Left 5.0 x 4.0cm, Top Right 5.0 x 4.5cm, Bottom Left 4.0 x 3.5cm, Bottom Middle 2.0 x 3.0cm, Bottom Right 4.5 x 3.3cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4057

Five pieces of pottery with patterns on them.

Kayenta black on white

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
5.5 x 4.0 x 0.6cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4059

Aquarius Black on Grey

Ceramic sherds
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Top 2.2 x 3.2cm, Right 2.8 x 2.5cm, Bottom 2.1 x 5.0cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4017

Three pieces of pottery with patterns on them.

Black Mesa beige

Ceramic sherds
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Large Piece Top 5.4 x 5.0 x 0.5cm, Large Piece Bottom 5.2 x 4.2 x 0.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4020

Wooden Spoon

Wood
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 61cm, W 10cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3492

Worked Stone

Limestone
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 8.0cm, H 8.0cm, W 2.2cm, Hole D 1.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3833

Yucca Sandal

Yucca brevifolia fibers
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 20cm, W 11cm

The yucca leaves were collected and stripped of fibers. The fibers were then woven into sandals, baskets, or rope.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3325

Yucca Sandal

Yucca brevifolia fibers
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
L 29cm, W 15cm

The yucca leaves were collected and stripped of fibers. The fibers were then woven into sandals, baskets, or rope.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3328

Yucca Blanket Fragment

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
27 x 28cm

The yucca leaves were collected and stripped of fibers. The fibers were then woven into sandals, baskets, or rope.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3390

Yucca Mat Fragment

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
30cm x 30 cm

The yucca leaves were collected and stripped of fibers. The fibers were then woven into sandals, baskets, or rope.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3393

Yucca Basket Fragment

Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
61 x 20cm

The yucca leaves were collected and stripped of fibers. The fibers were then woven into sandals, baskets, or rope.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3511

Black Mesa Black-on-White

Ceramic
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
4.0 x 5.3 x 0.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4022

Bloomington Black on White

Ceramic sherds
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Left 4.0 x 2.7 x 0.5cm; Right 7.8 x 6.5 x 0.5cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4024

Two pieces of pottery with patterns on them.

Colorado Red on Beige

Ceramic sherds
Circa: Prehistoric Period 10,000 B.C. - AD 1850
Left 6.2 x 5.0cm, Bottom Left 4.9 x 4.0, Top Right 3.6 x 5.5, Bottom Right 3.8 x 3.0cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 4041

Four pieces of pottery with patterns on them.

Snare Trap

Wood with hemp string
Circa 1300-1000 BP
L 16.7cm, D 1.2cm

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3946

Agave Knife

1000-1150 CE
L 11", W 2"; Blade 3 x 2"

This tool was commonly used by many Native American peoples to chop the thorny exteriors from plants such as agave or mescal. Blades were 'glued' into the shaft with resin harvested from plants such as agave.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3395

Agave Knife

Iron blade with wood handle
Pre-Historic Period. Circa 1000-1150 CE
L 8 3/4", W 1.5", Blade 1.5 x 1.5

This tool was commonly used by many Native American peoples to chop the thorny exteriors from plants such as agave or mescal. Blades were 'glued' into the shaft with resin harvested from plants such as agave.

Photographer: Andy Cattoir

LAKE 3405