Museum board members recently received an update from Dayna Tinsley, owner of G2 Archaeology, on a Spring Valley archaeological project that led to the discovery of an unmarked Chinese cemetery dating to the late 1800s.
Tinsley said researchers discovered the cemetery while conducting excavation work connected to a mitigation project for Solidus Resources.
Several graves appeared to have been exhumed, reflecting a traditional practice in which families later recovered the remains and returned them to their ancestral villages in China. Archaeologists also located one intact burial, believed to be that of a man between about 35 and 70 years old.
Researchers recovered several personal items, including leather boots containing an 1898 dime. A river cobble found between the man’s legs may provide a key clue to his identity. Chinese characters carved into the stone appear to record his name and home village, and researchers are working to translate the inscriptions.
Tinsley said the project staff are consulting with retired University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor Sou Fong Chung, whose work included a similar discovery of a Chinese cemetery near Carlin.
That site, accidentally uncovered in 1996, contained the remains of 13 Chinese immigrants believed to have worked on railroads and in Nevada’s mining industry. The discovery led to decades of research before the men were reburied with traditional Chinese ceremonies in 2018.
Researchers hope a similar effort may eventually allow the Spring Valley man’s remains to be identified and returned to his ancestral home in China.
Tinsley said the project also includes plans for interpretive displays highlighting Spring Valley’s mining history, including the contributions of Chinese placer miners and the area’s early dredging operations. Solidus Resources is expected to fund interpretive panels or a kiosk to accompany the exhibit.
Information gathered during the project may be incorporated into a planned Chinese history exhibit at the Marzen House Museum. Tinsley’s next step is to present the findings to the full museum board and the Pershing County commissioners.
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