Habitat

Valshni Village is situated in the middle of a broad flat covered with mesquite and creosote bushes and is approximately 2300 feet above sea level. None of the other typical flora of this desert region was found on the site, however most of these plants are found closer to the hills. No vegetal matter was found during the excavations, but many plants were undoubtedly important in the economy of the prehistoric occupants of the village (Scantling, 1940:56). That these people relied to a great extent upon hunting is shown by the quantity of animal bones found throughout the rubbish. Dr. W. H. Burt, Curator of Mammals, University of Michigan, identified the animal bones found (Table 1). The bones collected from the rubbish scattered over the site totaled 285 pieces.

It should be noted that no mountain sheep bones are among these. During the excavations, seventeen good specimens of mountain sheep horns (Ovis canadensis) were recovered, and fragments of horns were found throughout the site. It is probable that bones of these animals were found but were broken beyond identification. Another point of interest is that no evidence of mountain sheep was found at the Jackrabbit Ruin. Mountain sheep have been in the region during historic times (Lumholtz, 1912:22) and were certainly there during the occupation of Valshni Village. So either there was a shift in the range of these animals during the Sells Phase, or else they were just ignored by the people as a source of food. The latter seems more likely as there seems to have been no change which would have caused these animals to leave the country temporarily. The Sells Phase saw many changes in the local culture, among them an apparent intensification of agriculture over the findings in Valshni Village. Probably this kept the people so occupied that they gave up using the animals which were the hardest to obtain and required the most time to hunt.