NEW WORLD PALEO-INDIAN—ROBERTS 409 
Gypsum Cave (pl. 7, fig. 1), in the Frenchman Mountains east of 
Las Vegas, Nev., also contained material of significance (Harrington, 
1983). Several cultural horizons were represented in its deposits. 
In the top layer were materials attributed to the modern Paiute In- 
dians. Below it were two levels in which were articles left by groups 
related to the Pueblo peoples of pre-Columbian times. These strata 
rested on a sterile layer indicative of a break in the occupation of the 
cave. In the deposits beneath the sterile bed were archeological spec- 
imens, quantities of sloth dung, bones from the giant sloth, an extinct 
species of wolf, three species of camels, and the native horse. The 
evidence appeared to demonstrate contemporaneity between the 
makers of the artifacts and all the animals except the horse. Al- 
though there was some doubt about the latter, those making the 
investigations expressed belief that the animal still survived in the 
region when the cave was occupied by men and that they were more 
or less acquainted with it even though they apparently did not hunt it. 
This opinion was predicated on the fact that projectile points similar 
to those obtained from the cave, long triangular-shaped blades with 
square shoulders merging into a stem that tapers into a rounded or 
pointed base (pl. 7, fig. 2), are found in open sites in western Nevada 
in strata that also contain horse and camel bones. Subsequent dis- 
covery of the same type points in a layer of horse dung in a cave 
(Etna Cave; Wheeler, 1942) about 100 miles north of Gypsum Cave 
considerably strengthens the argument and indicates that the original 
assumption was probably correct. 
There is some difficulty, as in the case of Sandia Cave, in dating the 
material from Gypsum Cave. In the bottom levels were water-borne 
deposits in which were camel and horse bones. Above them were 
silts left by standing water. The top surface of the latter gave 
evidence of a period in which there was considerable evaporation, and 
in places it was solidified by mineral substances that had been carried 
in solution. The earliest traces of the giant sloth were found on 
this surface and in places they were partially covered by a stalagmitic 
formation. From that level to the top of the deposits the strata were 
wholly dry and gave every indication of always having been so. The 
artifacts and other evidence of human occupation were found only 
in the dry layers. Botanical specimens obtained from the latter rep- 
resent an arid flora comprising plants that are present in the region 
today, although some of them live only at higher elevations. The 
water-deposited layers, because much moister conditions than have 
prevailed at any subsequent period would be required to produce them, 
have been correlated with the last great rise in the level of ancient 
Lake Lahontan in Nevada. This is believed to have taken place 
during the pluvial stage mentioned in the discussion of the Folsom 
