The Roland H. Wiley Archaeological Preserve is a 63 acre parcel located in the desert of southwestern Nevada. The preserve is part of the historic Hidden Hills Ranch and is situated in the Pahrump Valley along the Nevada-California state line. It is named in honor of a former owner of the ranch.
Avocational archaeologist Donald Hendricks brought the preserve to the Conservancy’s attention several years ago. He noted that it contained an extensive scatter of ceramic sherds, some of which aren’t usually found in this area. After visiting the site with Hendricks, a member of the Wiley family, and local Bureau of Land Management archaeologist Mark Boatwright, members of the Conservancy’s Western region office conducted a cursory cultural resource survey. In addition to the pottery fragments, they found that the site is covered by a scatter of lithic flakes. For the most part the scatter is sparse, but there are several areas where the flakes are dense, and there are also stone tools such as scrapers, bifaces, and point fragments.
The property also contains features that appear to be earth ovens or hearths. These features contain a dark, ashy soil with numerous angular, possibly fire-cracked, cobbles, but they are not as big or developed as the roasting pits that are common in the region. Since no scientific research has been conducted on the property, it is difficult to assess the age and continuity of its occupation.
The Roland H. Wiley Archaeological Preserve was a POINT 5 (Protect Our Irreplaceable National Treasures) program which was designed to save significant sites that are in immediate danger of destruction.
Summary. Read more in American Archaeology, Vol. 19 No. 3, Winter 2015-16
