In the desolate desert of southeastern California, the geological and archaeological remnants of a once massive lake, Lake Cahuilla, are still visible. One of the most distinctive features marking Lake Cahuilla’s relic shorelines is a series of rock fish trap features that, in some cases, stretch across thousands of square meters. These fish traps are severely understudied, and efficient and effective systematic archaeological surveys can help scientists reconstruct the dynamic human-environmental history in this region. The large number of fish traps coupled with the rocky desert terrain, however, make traditional pedestrian surveys both difficult and inefficient. My research demonstrates the effectiveness of aerial surveys to successfully map and interpret these fish trap localities. By employing emerging technologies along with traditional archaeological and geological methods, my research revealed fish trap construction patterns, including the orientation of fish traps, their frequency, and their location, and provided insights about the nature of human-environmental ecodynamics along Lake Cahuilla over the last millennium. Decoding these patterns can help to gain a better understanding of the people who lived in the area as well as offer insights into how the environment surrounding Lake Cahuilla, along with the lake itself, changed through time.
