Pueblo Grande de Nevada: Uncovering the Mysteries of the “Lost City”
Nestled near Overton, Nevada, the archaeological site known as Pueblo Grande de Nevada—or the “Lost City”—offers a glimpse into the past, just an hour’s drive from the bustling city of Las Vegas. This site represents a series of villages that were once the westernmost outposts of the Ancestral Puebloan civilization, flourishing for nearly a millennium.
The “Lost City” showcases its ties to the Chaco culture, native to present-day New Mexico, through its architecture and artifacts. Archaeologists have recovered a treasure trove of items, including intricately designed pottery, turquoise, woven cotton textiles, coastal shell jewelry, and mining tools from nearby mountain caves used for salt extraction.
First recorded in 1924 and excavated in the 1930s, the site faced partial inundation due to the formation of Lake Mead. Despite this, the Lost City Museum preserves its legacy with reconstructions of the original architecture and remnants of the building foundations.
Skilled in various crafts, the inhabitants of the Lost City were adept farmers and builders. They constructed elaborate structures, with some villages boasting over 100 rooms, and they developed a sophisticated irrigation system utilizing the water from the spring-fed Muddy River, a Colorado River tributary, to nurture their crops.
The reasons behind the abandonment of the Lost City around 1150 AD remain shrouded in mystery. Today, this historic site draws tourists keen on exploring the rich cultural heritage of its early inhabitants.
This Earth Note was written by Carrie Calisay Cannon and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
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