Potential Agave Utahensis Rock Art
Did I find pre-historic rock art depicting agave utahensis?
Potential agave utahensis pictograph rock art in the Spring Mountains near Las Vegas
“BC” site is a protected archeological district nearly 3,000 acres big, in Red Rock Canyon at the feet of the Spring Mountains here in Las Vegas. It's a large complex of rock art, agave roasting pits, and water sources that has been used by Ancestral Puebloans, Southern Paiute, as well as historical groups. It has some of the best examples of polychromatic (multi-colored) pictographs in the region. It's also in the middle of a large population of agave utahensis at approximately 4,800 feet of elevation. And utahensis is the only species of agave that grows for many miles around.
The unchecked “plant form” line on Dr Brooks’ Cultural Resource Survey
Surveys were done by local archeologist Dr Richard Brooks for the Bureau of Land Management in the 1970s and 80s, and much of the rock art, roasting pits, and other cultural elements were indexed for the greater area around and including the BC site. I looked at these surveys in UNLV’s Special Collection, but the checklist item for "plant forms" was unchecked in the BC area. Multiple plant forms were found at a nearby site, but I've yet to confirm what those are.
Experts on indigenous rock art in the desert southwest say that potential plant imagery is common, including depictions of corn, yucca, and other species of agave. They’re certainly common enough to appear as a checklist on the standard cultural resource survey forms Dr Brooks used. I have not yet been able to find references to any other depictions of agave utahensis.
An agave roasting pit found at a nearby complex of roasting pits.
Agave utahensis was a key food source for indigenous populations in the area for thousands of years. Studies on Nuwuvi (Southern Pauite) oral tradition detailed complex rules around the harvest of utahensis, including limitations on when it could be harvested and by who. Roasting pit complexes were seasonal sites, visited by groups when there was agave ready to roast. Clearly utahensis held an important role in not only the diet, but also the culture of the Nuwuvi and others.
The hike to this spot was much harder than I had expected and planned for, so I wasn’t operating at 100% when I finally reached the rock art. I didn't actually notice the potential agave pictograph until I was reviewing footage and photos at home later.