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This page last updated on 04/08/2018
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Picture Notes: The Agave roasting pits shown here have been observed at four different locations. The picture in (Fig. 01) was taken on 04/04/2018, located near the beginning of the Calico Tank trail in the Red Rock National Recreation Area. Click here for a description of this hike ...
Calico Tank Trail (RRCNCA). The second picture (Fig. 02) can be found near first rock off Black Butte Road in the Gold Butte National Monument. Click here for a description of this area ...
Gold Butte National Monument - Summary Page. The last picture, (Fig. 03) was on 10/12/2017 at the end of Rainbow Spring Bottle Brush Road off Lovell Canyon Road. Click here for a description of this area ...
Rainbow Spring Road. The last two pictures (Fig. 04) were located on a hike to the Brownstone Canyon Petroglyph site inside the Brownstone Canyon Archaeological District that comprises 2,920 acres. Click here for more information and pictures about this site ...
Brownstone Canyon Archaeological District.
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Description: Over the past several year I have come across 4-5 agave roasting pits while on my hikes. Roasting pits are circular areas of fire-cracked and whitened limestone. Their size varies from ground level circles five to six feet in diameter, to enormous piles several yards high and large sloping sides. A hole was dug into the earth and filled with wood, which was burned, and rocks to hold the heat of the fire. Limestone was then gathered and heated by fire and used to cook food. After prolonged use, the broken limestone was raked aside and replaced with new rocks. This caused the circle of rocks to grow with use. These agave roasting pits were reused time and again. Through use they began to take on the classic shape seen here, with burned stone and charcoal heaped up in a large circle, generally with a depression in the center. Native Americans made and used these roasting pits to cook and roast various foods such as agave hearts, desert tortoise and possibly other plant and animal foods. These seasonal cooking ovens were built by the Southern Paiute, Mojave and possibly Anasazi Indians that frequented the Red Rock Canyon and Spring Mountains areas. For the Southern Paiute the roasting pit was much more than a place to prepare food. It was a time to gather and feast, prepare for the winter and gather for dancing and religious ceremonies. Agave is a type of plant that was extremely important and widely available to the people of the Mojave Desert throughout ancient times. When dried the leaves were used to make sandals and other textiles, and the base of the large plant was roasted after all of the thick pulpy leaves were removed. The agave "head" would be placed inside and buried where it was roasted for several days
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