PREHISTORIC TRADING POST

Suppose, as superstitious people sometimes insist, ghosts of the departed come back at the end of each thousand years to their previous haunts and relive for a brief few hours happenings that took place long ago. Suppose you had the opportunity to sit and watch this ghostly company as they reenacted the events of their day-events soon to be buried in the pages of time. Suppose-but let's allow our imaginations to turn back these almost lost pages of a thousand years ago and see for ourselves what happened. Almost any spot on the map that we might wish to touch would unfold an exciting story, but let's visit one area that seems very remote, yet at one time experienced some of the most fascinating happenings to take place anywhere in the Southwest-let's go to Willow Beach on the Arizona side of the Colorado River in the midst of dark, but scenic, Black Canyon.

Amacavas (probably the ancestors of present day Mohave Indians) mingled with short, powerfully built Pueblo-like people from the Overton, Nevada, area, and exchanged stories of their experiences. Today was the last day they would be together until fall. Today marked the end of another journey to this spot on the Colorado, during which each group brought forth its trade goods for exchange. Extensive bartering was now over, and here and there new owners looked over their recently acquired "bargains." In the shade of a mesquite tree, a Pueblo woman examined with delight some delicately tinted abalone shells-until recently lying along the shores of the Pacific Ocean far to the westward. Equally pleased was her husband with his newly acquired wealth of olivella shells, also from the Pacific. A short distance away, an Amacava woman sat contentedly with her child, while near her were two beautifully decorated bowls that she had obtained through bartering with her Pueblo neighbors from the northern valleys.

The year is around 954 A.D. Along the bank of the river, on a flat bench only a few feet above the water, groups of Indians are gathered in the shade of broad-topped cottonwood trees enjoying the warm spring day. Tall, muscular Although the Indians were not very active, preferring the shade as they talked, there was an atmosphere of expectancy. Earlier that morning experienced hunters had gone out to try to obtain a bighorn or two for the feast scheduled for that night. This, also, would be the last opportunity for months to enjoy a friendly meal together. Possibly they might even be joined by the Cerbat people from the mountain country to the eastward, as some of them had stayed over another day before returning home. Of course, there had been one sad note, but it was not expected to adversely affect the prospects for a lively evening. Little Tina, a young Puebloan girl from the red valley to the north, had suddenly taken ill and died. What caused it no one knew. After proper ceremony, the grieving parents and friends had buried her and her belongings in the sand a short distance away from where the main camp was located.

tancy. Earlier that morning experienced hunters had gone out to try to obtain a bighorn or two for the feast scheduled for that night. This, also, would be the last opportunity for months to enjoy a friendly meal together. Possibly they might even be joined by the Cerbat people from the mountain country to the eastward, as some of them had stayed over another day before returning home. Of course, there had been one sad note, but it was not expected to adversely affect the prospects for a lively evening. Little Tina, a young Puebloan girl from the red valley to the north, had suddenly taken ill and died. What caused it no one knew. After proper ceremony, the grieving parents and friends had buried her and her belongings in the sand a short distance away from where the main camp was located.

But now let's come back to present-day reality. It's all well and good to tell about such things, and it certainly does stimulate the imagination trying to visualize the scene and the events. But what proof do we have that anything of this sort actually happened-or that any part of it took place? Well, of course, we can't say for sure just what all did happen, but let's go over the evidence and put together the story of this prehistoric trading post as the archeologists uncovered it during their excavations of the site.

Almost 800 years went by between the time the site was last used as a trading area and the year 1934, when the first excavations at Willow Beach were made under the direction of M. R. Harrington of the Southwest Museum. While his work at the site was not extensive, more than 900 Indian artifacts were dug out of the low sandy hill above the Colorado River. Following this initial work, there was nothing more done until in 1947-48, when investigations by Archeologist Gordon C. Baldwin of the National Park Service were begun in the area, prior to the construction of Davis Dam and the formation of new Lake Mohave. These studies were completed by Archeologist Albert H. Schroeder during the final National Park Service excavations of the site in 1950.

Just what was found during these excavations? To begin with, the site was found to be quite ancient. Here were found evidences of the Basket Makers-short, stocky Indians who have since become famous in the field of archeology for their finely woven baskets, which were so often placed over the bodies of their dead when buried. These people had found the Virgin River Valley much to their liking, and had developed extensive settlements in that area. As hunter-farmers, they had learned to grow corn to supplement their diet of wild game and seeds, and had developed rather crude houses. Occasionally some of them drifted southward into the Willow Beach area, there to hunt and enjoy the mild winter months. This they continued to do until around 750 A.D. Far down in the sand deposit, actually 7 feet 7 inches below the surface, a beautifully shaped stone point was discovered more than three inches in length. This was a valuable find as it turned out to be an Amargosa spear point. Now the Amargosa people are somewhat shadowy figures of the past. Apparently they came to this region from the Amargosa Desert near Death Valley. When they came into the Willow Beach country would be difficult to estimate, but apparently long before the birth of Christ. Also, it isn't possible to say how long they lived here, or whether they actually stayed over extensive periods of time. It could be that they only visited this region upon occasion. There is evidence that they met, and perhaps traded with, the Basket Maker people here at this site. Where did they go? There, also, information is lacking. Thus, they simply remain an open question with little in the form of an answer.

Although little is known about the Amargosa people, there is considerable information about the next people who came to this secluded spot along the Colorado. Sometime after 750 A.D., the western region of the present Lake Mead area really developed into a beehive of activity. From the earlier Basket Maker culture, there arose a Pueblo-like group of Indians. These built extensive settlements along the Virgin River Valley. Farmers, and good pottery makers, they continued to make good use of established trade contacts with other Indian groups at Willow Beach. East of the Colorado River lived another tribe in the mountains north of present-day Kingman. These were the Cerbats (a CocoMaricopa word meaning "mountain sheep")-from whom the Cerbat Mountains received their name-and it is thought the ancestral stock which gave rise to the modern Hualpai Indians. Both of these groups left evidence of their visits to Willow Beach prior to 900 A.D. At this date, another people, the Amacava, came out of the Mohave Desert region and entered the Black Canyon country. They frequented the Willow Beach site up to 1150 A.D., during which time the Pueblo and Cerbat peoples came to barter. These three groups had much in common. They were peaceful, and they quite evidently enjoyed getting together and trading with each other. Just when these big trading sessions first began is difficult to say, but Willow Beach is known to have become the center of this activity. If there were such things as proprietors of this prehistoric trading post that now developed, then they were the Amacavas. These Indians were great travelers and traded over a wide area. From California they brought in steatite beads, asphaltum, abalone and olivella shells, the latter much prized for ornaments and possibly indicating wealth. All of these items were found in considerable quantity during the Willow Beach excavations. One can only speculate on how many of these articles were actually brought into the region, but they must have been numerous. Certainly for every one found in the sand hill, there must have been a hundred taken away, as similar material in the Virgin River area suggests.

There was much evidence that the Puebloans from around the Moapa Valley came regularly to this spot. Not only were numerous items of their pottery uncovered, but there were several burials. All of these could be readily identified as being Puebloan, as they were buried in the typical "flexed" position with their heads facing a southerly direction and their knees drawn up against their stomachs. One of these burials was that of a child, and with her had been placed a large quantity of olivella shells. These had apparently been a necklace or decorations on a garment of some type. In all, there were 835 of the shells. Another burial of unusual interest was that of a middle-aged man, because by his side was the skeleton of a dog. Apparently his faithful companion had been buried with him to keep him company. In all, there was a total of eight bodies uncovered during the excavations, all Puebloans. All appeared to have died a natural, peaceful death, as no signs of violence were found.

Likely the Cerbats did not visit the site very often. While there were several pieces of Cerbat pottery found during the excavations, these were small in number compared to the wealth of items left by the other two Indian groups. Some idea of the life of the day can be obtained from other materials unearthed from the sand terrace. That there were many large game animals in the region was evident from bones found in fire pits some distance beneath the surface. Mountain sheep bones were fairly common. Apparently after the animal had been cooked, the bones were split and the marrow eaten. Then the bones were thrown into the fire or were tossed away, later to be covered over by drifting grains of sand. Deer bones showed up a few times, while bird and fish bones were occasionally found. It was not necessary for the Indians to search very far for firewood, as during high water the river brought considerable quantities down stream from the plateau country to the eastward. Charcoal taken from the roasting pits proved to be of cottonwood, pine, Douglas fir and some juniper. Putting all of the information together that was uncovered during the excavations, it is possible to reconstruct a scene such as was described above. Perhaps the scene as pictured isn't entirely accurate-possibly some of these events took place at different times-but they very likely did occur. It is also possible to estimate when in history these get-togethers took place and when they ended. Apparently they went on with some regularity for long periods of time until around 1150 A.D. Some time after this date there occurred an influx of another Indian group from the north. These new people appear to have been Shoshoneans, ancestors of the Paiutes. Their arrival saw the end of the Puebloan occupation of the Virgin River country. It would appear that the Shoshoneans were far from friendly, since the Puebloans apparently decided the region wasn't worth the effort necessary to defend it. In any event, they deserted the Virgin River area and moved eastward toward the Four Corners region, leaving southern Nevada to the Paiutes and Amacavas. That these newcomers visited the trading area at Willow Beach is shown by small quantities of their pottery and worked stone points, as well as the remains of a Circular brush shelter found in the surface layers at the site. Also there are a number of petroglyphs on the cliffs only a short distance from the site that appear to be Shoshonean in origin, while the hills immediately above show evidences of old camp sites. Apparently the Shoshonean people and the Amacava did not get along too well, and the Amacava withdrew down the river to the southward, taking up residence along the river valley near present-day Needles. The ancestral Paiutes stayed pretty much in the region from Willow Beach northward, and in the Mohave Desert region, while the Cerbats remained in their mountain and plateau stronghold to the eastward, where they avoided neighbors. Thus, after approximately 400 years of activity, featured by peace and good will between these primitive peoples, the ancient trading post at Willow Beach closed its doors, not to be reopened until the shovel and trowel of the archeologist accomplished the feat hundreds of years later. When you visit the area today, you will find only surface traces of the story. However, the old trading post isn't difficult to find. Simply go to the Willow Beach Cafe, leave your car and follow on up Lake Mohave via an old road that stays a short distance above the water. After crossing a large wash, begin to watch the sandy slopes between you and the

lake and you will soon see signs of where digging has taken place. This is the spot, and on the surface you will see numerous small pieces of pottery, and occasionally pieces of worked stone points. The site will likely be partially flooded by the new lake. The setting is scenic and very picturesque, so spend a few minutes letting your imagination reach back a thousand years to the time when a muddy river flowed through the canyon, and cottonwood and mesquite trees lined the banks and choked the washes. Before leaving the Willow Beach area, go over to the public campground and walk down to the lake shore. Just as you reach the water, look at the steep cliff rising near at hand on the downstream side of the cove. If your eyes are sharp, you will see a number of petroglyphs pecked into the dark rocks by Indians, likely placed there by some brown-skinned artist several hundred years ago. Just as time once erased the shape of the old trading post and buried it beneath the sands of the Colorado River, so are the petroglyphs slowly fading away under the forces of Nature. If you care to get a bit of exercise, walk down-lake along the well-worn trail leading from the campground. Watch closely and you will find a mortar hole right by the trail where seeds were once ground into fine meal, while petroglyphs may be seen on the black boulders nearby. Now climb the hill above you to the southward, and on its flat top you will find a number of rocks lying in circular patterns-camp sites of these ancient people. Shifting winds are again blowing sand over the spot where these early-day people lived and traded, while the waves of Lake Mohave are eating away at the site. In a brief few years, all traces of the old trading post will be gone, and the ancient site will once more fade into the past.