The High-Elevation Mesa Earthwork In Northern California That Still Baffles Archaeologists To This Day
By Lysa Allman-Baldwin|Published July 13, 2022
×
Lysa Allman-Baldwin
Author
For over 25 years Lysa Allman-Baldwin has fed her wanderlust for “everything the world has to offer” by passionately writing travel and feature articles for numerous global print and online publications. A Digital Nomad, Lysa is also a professional speaker, workshop facilitator, and author.
Much can be learned from archaeological digs, as they offer a window into long-ago times. In Northern California, exploration of the Dry Lakes Plateau still baffles archaeologists to this day. This area located within the Bodie Hills region is fascinating, to say the least, especially in terms of history. Just make sure if you visit the designated hiking trails, you stay on the trail and do not disturb the wildlife!
The Dry Lakes Plateau is located in the Bodie Hills region about 45 minutes north of Yosemite National Park, and an hour and 45 minutes south of South Lake Tahoe.
In this region of the state, the mesa was uniquely positioned as a receptacle for the considerable amount of rain and snow that falls here. As a result, it could naturally sustain life for thousands of years.
The area has since been designated as a tribal cultural landscape, it falls under the Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Study Area, and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Advertisement
The excavations revealed a wide array of digging and other tools that support the length and depth of the survival practices that took place here for an estimated 10,000 – 12,000 years.
Remains of woodrat middens (heaps of feces and unwanted nesting materials) and scores of plant macrofossils have been used to determine the types of trees that thrived here, providing sustenance for both human and animal inhabitants. Most notable among them were the Pinyon Pine trees. They played an integral role as a much-needed food source here in the Dry Lakes Plateau.
The study of the region by archaeologists continues, while also battling entities threatening their preservation efforts.
Mining and drilling, which was very prevalent here during the Gold Rush era, is still a threat today, as is unregulated or unrestricted tourism. Nevertheless, the rich history here is a fascinating window into the human, animal, and geological development of Northern California.
Have you been to any of the entities within the Bodie Hills region? If so, we’d love to see your photos and hear about your experience there.
