Sunken Cities Part 4: The Lost City in Nevada - Ep 26

Written By Rachel Roden

In this episode, Stephanie is joined by special guest Virginia Lucas, curator and archaeologist of the Lost City Museum for a look at the history of The Lost City, also known as Pueblo Grande de Nevada. It was an Ancestral Puebloan settlement in southern Nevada and once thrived as a major agricultural exporter and trade hub along the Muddy River. The city was abandoned around 1250 CE after a shift in the local climate caused a long period of drought. Centuries later, its ruins were flooded by the construction of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, only to reemerge now that modern droughts have lowered the water levels once again.

We'll explore the museum dedicated to both the site itself and the historical archaeology previously done here. We'll also discuss how the Lost City’s rise, abandonment, and rediscovery by western researchers reflect broader questions about memory, cultural continuity, and the importance of working with descendant communities when researching history and sharing it with the public.

Transcripts

Offline Works Cited

  • Euler, Robert C. “Southern Paiute Archaeology.” American Antiquity 29.3 (1964): 379–381.

Links

ArchPodNet

Affiliates

Rachel Roden
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