Stone Sinkers from Western Nevada

Very few stone fishing sinkers are reported in the archaeological literature pertaining to the western Great Basin. It has been apparent for quite some time, however, that stone fishing sinkers are frequently found by amateurs surface collecting in the Lahontan Basin. This paper describes 17 such specimens from a private collection of nearly 300. All 17, of which there are five major types, were collected on the shores of Pyramid Lake, a living remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan, located about 30 mi. northeast of Reno, Nevada. Pending further study of excavated types, it is suggested that the five types reported in this paper are referable to either the Lovelock (ca. 2000 B.C. to A.D. 1400) or to Paiute (post-A.D. 1400) horizons in western Nevada.