I'd like to point out that in ancient times millions of beavers populated almost every river, creek, and stream across the country, even in the desert. There were hundreds of millions of acres of wetlands. The landscape looked nothing like today. There would have been beaver dams and green vegetation, abundant wildlife, and fertile land to grow crops. All that went away when beavers were trapped almost out of existence. The ancient peoples did not live in desolation as most people today imagine. I did enjoy your video and hope you will post more in the future. Further evidence of that plentiful food supply is the large number of grinding stones and the many burn pits. You are in an area that contained water, vegetation, and a large abundance of wildlife. It would have been a nice place to live.
Being unable to explore the desert myself, I absolutely loved being able to go with you and see the land and ruins from the ancient ones. I am physically unable to hike and go out west to places I have always been fascinated by. Thank you for taking me somewhere I long to go and I find watching these videos really helps me and my mental health. Please keep up the awesome work on the videos. By the way after you found the 4th pit I made up my mind they are pit houses!
Glad you are enjoying the content, thank you very much for watching! It certainly would seem like the site was perhaps a village of sorts. Lots of questions on this one, mystery for sure!
This is an amazing find! Obviously an area occupied many times throughout the Archaic Period. From small cave alcoves to pit houses and from the pre ceramic era to crude uncolored pottery, this location is a real historical track of prehistory ancient mankind. In my opinion, the flats stones were not only used as metates but also as butchering tables. The absence of "rock art" is quite perplexing; although, the age of habitation site could explain this because the "rock art" simply deteriorated. This was a remarkable adventure!! Thank you for taking us along!
You're welcome, thank you for watching! I was a little surprised that I didn't come across any rock art, indeed perplexing. Very interesting site. Would be cool to spend a night out there.
Very cool. As for the lack of pot shards, some peoples leaned more towards basketry than pottery. Some baskets were actually water tight. Cooking would have been more like the focus of your video, open fire/roasting. Dried/dehydrated foods also makes sense. Great videos. Your true interest shows in your work. I'm of the belief that the history of man in the Americas dates way farther back than we can imagine... right now. Happy Exploring
That was one of your best trips. Could you state the obvious and describe what was roasted in these pits? If it is an area where agave could be farmed, I did not see any post-domestic agave. Usually there are a few such plants surviving and sometimes some raised crop rows and even rock mulch remaining.
Thank you, appreciate you watching! Well, I'm at a bit of a loss in regards to what I think they were roasting. The general idea is agave but wow, those were some huge pits there. Lots of questions for sure.
I ran across a similar pit east of mount Taylor and west of a arroyo ( think its called rio prueco) its on a hill and is a protected ( designated) state park
Given how sparse the vegetation is I wonder where the wood came from to fill the roasting pits. They must have been incredibly dedicated to haul that much wood that far.
My uncle always told me them huge roasting pits were there from when they roasted dinosaur's and eat them. It would be like eating lizard chicken meat. Dinasaur's were huge! He spent much of his life in the desert and knew all about all that stuff.
I'm pretty sure the typography was hugely different thousands of years ago. This would have been, swamps and lakes, rivers and streams. Plenty of good farm land, fishing, and cranes, fish frogs etc. These pits you found were most likely where tribes come together to fire their pots. Takes a lot of heat to make cooking pots. These pits could be use for so many things along with cooking.
this is likely a pre ceramic Elko culture site. Elko sites are very common near springs and old streambeds and often feature grinding tools and agave pits but a lack of pottery
100% Or older even. Winnemucca has the nation's oldest petroglyphs at some 14 thousand years old. Very different landscape back then, even 5000 years ago it was different all across Nevada.
Great video. Beautiful area. I also enjoy hiking (mainly California). What mountain are you and the other hikers climbing there? May have to take a trip there and summit your mountain.
That may be the most puzzling site I've seen , how do even procure enough food to need more than one giant pit ? The soil is poor at best and the irrigation is unpredictable so what were they roasting ... Buffalo ?
Lance, this site was likely inhabited around 4000 to 6000 years before the present. The Elko culture that called this canyon home came about during a time that was much wetter and cooler than Nevada is today. The jet stream which brings moisture across the pacific brought more moisture and warm air to southern latitudes because of the glaciers that covered the north. What we see as a desert today was likely a marsh environment with much more vegetation and animal life than exists there today. You can read about this if you search for Pluvial lakes in Nevada and the great basin. If you also glance on google maps you can see evidence in Nevada and the Mojave of massive ancient lakes and drainage channels which fed vast marshes on the edges of the mountains. Some of the earliest evidence of human presence in North America can be found on the rocky margins and mesas above these ancient lakes and streams.
So I have learned throughout my studying about the ancient American people, that when you find bigger rocks in rings like those that they can be from their teepees. They would place rocks around the outside of the teepees to hold the edges down.
Its beyond me what they used these pits for never seen anything like that gesss that was at least five pits. Maybe involved like heating or making pottery or bowls, they needed a lot of wood It seems, I bet this place was awesome back In the day.
I like your vids, ty I often wonder if the people at places where the pottery is plain and there isn't much architecture left that they were so busy with hunting to live or running from something ?
Hello...did you excavate the pits at all??? There should be tools and remnants around and most definitely in the pit. The deeper you go the older. It is not necessary to destroy the pit from the center. You can do an excavation pit on the edge to get all the information you need.
If your interested, in a range of mountains, Fornication range is a lot of indian ruins, it recently turned into wilderness area. Your job is to find them its located so east of great basin national park. It's a really beautiful cool place on the east side of Range
Well, I'm always interested. Do you happen to mean the Fortification Range? That's SWest of Great Basin. Are the ruins in the mountains or at the base of them?
Clever. I wonder if was because they would be closer to get the amount of fuel they'd need for those giant pits. Appreciate you sharing. Very Fascinating!
Well, the pits are located at the base of the mountain. Simply going up in elevation a bit would put you in the Juniper forest but that would still be a lot of work to fill those big pits. Good question indeed.
Not out of the realm of possibility. The corn that was consumed from small scale farming was tiny, nothing like you see today. Word is 'corn' appeared in the Southwest from Mexico around 4000 years ago, give or take. The location of this site is quite strange, well...maybe not. Strange to me anyway. A few thousand years ago there might have been a more reliable source of water nearby. Who knows...a mystery for sure.
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I'd like to point out that in ancient times millions of beavers populated almost every river, creek, and stream across the country, even in the desert. There were hundreds of millions of acres of wetlands. The landscape looked nothing like today. There would have been beaver dams and green vegetation, abundant wildlife, and fertile land to grow crops. All that went away when beavers were trapped almost out of existence. The ancient peoples did not live in desolation as most people today imagine. I did enjoy your video and hope you will post more in the future. Further evidence of that plentiful food supply is the large number of grinding stones and the many burn pits. You are in an area that contained water, vegetation, and a large abundance of wildlife. It would have been a nice place to live.
Very interesting! The location of this site is quite interesting, definitely worthy of contemplation. Appreciate you watching!
Cabeza de Vaca would disagree.
Huh, am guessing that the climate changed over the centuries.
Being unable to explore the desert myself, I absolutely loved being able to go with you and see the land and ruins from the ancient ones. I am physically unable to hike and go out west to places I have always been fascinated by. Thank you for taking me somewhere I long to go and I find watching these videos really helps me and my mental health. Please keep up the awesome work on the videos. By the way after you found the 4th pit I made up my mind they are pit houses!
Glad you are enjoying the content, thank you very much for watching! It certainly would seem like the site was perhaps a village of sorts. Lots of questions on this one, mystery for sure!
This is an amazing find! Obviously an area occupied many times throughout the Archaic Period. From small cave alcoves to pit houses and from the pre ceramic era to crude uncolored pottery, this location is a real historical track of prehistory ancient mankind. In my opinion, the flats stones were not only used as metates but also as butchering tables. The absence of "rock art" is quite perplexing; although, the age of habitation site could explain this because the "rock art" simply deteriorated. This was a remarkable adventure!! Thank you for taking us along!
You're welcome, thank you for watching! I was a little surprised that I didn't come across any rock art, indeed perplexing. Very interesting site. Would be cool to spend a night out there.
Concur! Camping at that area would give you the opportunity for additional exploration and discoveries. Standing by! @@EnigmaClandestino
Well, now I'm going to have to do an overnighter!
my thoughts were house pits that had brush built around it. carcoal could have been from fires inside.
Nice find. Happy to know we could help.
Very cool. As for the lack of pot shards, some peoples leaned more towards basketry than pottery. Some baskets were actually water tight. Cooking would have been more like the focus of your video, open fire/roasting. Dried/dehydrated foods also makes sense.
Great videos.
Your true interest shows in your work.
I'm of the belief that the history of man in the Americas dates way farther back than we can imagine... right now.
Happy Exploring
That was one of your best trips. Could you state the obvious and describe what was roasted in these pits? If it is an area where agave could be farmed, I did not see any post-domestic agave. Usually there are a few such plants surviving and sometimes some raised crop rows and even rock mulch remaining.
Thank you, appreciate you watching! Well, I'm at a bit of a loss in regards to what I think they were roasting. The general idea is agave but wow, those were some huge pits there. Lots of questions for sure.
Are you sure those pits did not have a hut built over them?
Only thing I'm sure about at this site is the fact that there was lots of fire going on.
Amazing exploration excited to see what else you can find.
Appreciate you watching! It's certainly exciting to think about what might be around the corner!
Very cool channel. Thanks for taking me somewhere I could never otherwise see.❤❤❤
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Excellent video of your amazing discovery! Thank you for posting!
You're very welcome, appreciate you watching!
What a great explore .awesome video.
Appreciate you watching!
I ran across a similar pit east of mount Taylor and west of a arroyo ( think its called rio prueco) its on a hill and is a protected ( designated) state park
Thank you for that. As a huge fan of time team I appreciate your work.
You're welcome, thank you for watching!
Given how sparse the vegetation is I wonder where the wood came from to fill the roasting pits. They must have been incredibly dedicated to haul that much wood that far.
Well the site is located at the base of the mountains, go up a little bit and that would put you in juniper forest. Interesting indeed!
Must of been large gatherings to create such large roasting pits. So interesting.
Excellent, thank you. most people just walk past and say "a burning pit" without bothering to actually look closely at the ground!
My uncle always told me them huge roasting pits were there from when they roasted dinosaur's and eat them. It would be like eating lizard chicken meat. Dinasaur's were huge! He spent much of his life in the desert and knew all about all that stuff.
Awesome! Your Uncle might have been right! Thanks for watching!
They were roasting agave, century plants.
Very interesting, thanks for the journey
You're welcome, thank you for watching!
I'm pretty sure the typography was hugely different thousands of years ago. This would have been, swamps and lakes, rivers and streams. Plenty of good farm land, fishing, and cranes, fish frogs etc. These pits you found were most likely where tribes come together to fire their pots. Takes a lot of heat to make cooking pots. These pits could be use for so many things along with cooking.
I feel like they are pit houses not roasting pits
this is likely a pre ceramic Elko culture site. Elko sites are very common near springs and old streambeds and often feature grinding tools and agave pits but a lack of pottery
Fascinating! Thanks for watching!
100% Or older even. Winnemucca has the nation's oldest petroglyphs at some 14 thousand years old. Very different landscape back then, even 5000 years ago it was different all across Nevada.
Absolutely incredible!
Liked ur video a lot!👍🏻 a new subscriber
Great video. Beautiful area. I also enjoy hiking (mainly California). What mountain are you and the other hikers climbing there? May have to take a trip there and summit your mountain.
New subscriber here. Great video!! Fascinating subject and the landscape is just wonderful!!
Thank you for watching and supporting the channel!!
That may be the most puzzling site I've seen , how do even procure enough food to need more than one giant pit ? The soil is poor at best and the irrigation is unpredictable so what were they roasting ... Buffalo ?
It was intriguing for sure. Lots of questions. The location was interesting. Maybe a ceremonial site. Again, lots of questions. Thanks for watching!
Lance, this site was likely inhabited around 4000 to 6000 years before the present. The Elko culture that called this canyon home came about during a time that was much wetter and cooler than Nevada is today. The jet stream which brings moisture across the pacific brought more moisture and warm air to southern latitudes because of the glaciers that covered the north. What we see as a desert today was likely a marsh environment with much more vegetation and animal life than exists there today. You can read about this if you search for Pluvial lakes in Nevada and the great basin. If you also glance on google maps you can see evidence in Nevada and the Mojave of massive ancient lakes and drainage channels which fed vast marshes on the edges of the mountains. Some of the earliest evidence of human presence in North America can be found on the rocky margins and mesas above these ancient lakes and streams.
Awesome find thanks for sharing!
You're welcome, thank you for watching!
So I have learned throughout my studying about the ancient American people, that when you find bigger rocks in rings like those that they can be from their teepees. They would place rocks around the outside of the teepees to hold the edges down.
Its beyond me what they used these pits for never seen anything like that gesss that was at least five pits. Maybe involved like heating or making pottery or bowls, they needed a lot of wood It seems, I bet this place was awesome back In the day.
I believe these are Hogan type shelters. Most likely a farming community. Petroglyphs indicate water….. nice find !
I like your vids, ty I often wonder if the people at places where the pottery is plain and there isn't much architecture left that they were so busy with hunting to live or running from something ?
awesome adventure and discoveries💚
Very interesting adventure! What is that long cable(?) at 11:37?
Hello...did you excavate the pits at all??? There should be tools and remnants around and most definitely in the pit. The deeper you go the older. It is not necessary to destroy the pit from the center. You can do an excavation pit on the edge to get all the information you need.
Chipping stone is called a Core
Maybe this was a pre pottery Mastadon processing area.That probably took a lot of pits and a lot of time, maybe whole season.
If your interested, in a range of mountains, Fornication range is a lot of indian ruins, it recently turned into wilderness area. Your job is to find them its located so east of great basin national park. It's a really beautiful cool place on the east side of Range
Well, I'm always interested. Do you happen to mean the Fortification Range? That's SWest of Great Basin. Are the ruins in the mountains or at the base of them?
My friend and I turned up so many pits in southern Nevada we gave up on counting them at 150!
Say what?
@@EnigmaClandestino turned up is slang for discovery.
Correct it is, I was exclaiming on your finds! Might I ask, were many of the pits you encountered near the base of mountains?
@@EnigmaClandestino yes sir, any main canyon running out and some foothills. Look for them from the highway on state highway 160, both sides
Clever. I wonder if was because they would be closer to get the amount of fuel they'd need for those giant pits. Appreciate you sharing. Very Fascinating!
WooHoo 1st comment! 😀💪🏻 Great video!
Awesome, thanks for watching!
Crazy know Petroglyphs around
Could’ve been from copper smelting or mining
smaller ones could have been pits for firing pottery
ty good stuff
What did they use to fuel the pits? There is not a lot of vegetation to support so many large pits
Well, the pits are located at the base of the mountain. Simply going up in elevation a bit would put you in the Juniper forest but that would still be a lot of work to fill those big pits. Good question indeed.
Opps in new mexcio
Corn in the Nevada desert ?
Not out of the realm of possibility. The corn that was consumed from small scale farming was tiny, nothing like you see today. Word is 'corn' appeared in the Southwest from Mexico around 4000 years ago, give or take. The location of this site is quite strange, well...maybe not. Strange to me anyway. A few thousand years ago there might have been a more reliable source of water nearby. Who knows...a mystery for sure.
There are native stories of giants in the Nevada mountains.
I'm familiar with some of these stories, especially Lovelock Cave. Thanks for watching!
Have to remember, the landscape was a lot different ,so many years ago
True indeed.
What exactly did the natives roast?
Good question. Was wondering that myself. Word on the street is 'agave'. Those were some awfully large roasting pits. Mystery for sure.
Doesn’t appear to be agave there now, but the climate has changed since people lived there.
Teepee might been there.