Pot Shards were found exploring a cave located in the Black Mountains near Lake Mohave.

An obviously inhabited small cave, approximately twenty feet deep by ten feet wide and six feet high, located atop a small hill overlooking a wash. The cave is down wash of a year round flowing spring. Likely used regularly by hunters in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Possibly earlier by Native American people indigenous to the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert, the Pipa Aha Macav — “The People By The River.”

Numerous small pieces of clay pot shards were found scattered at the cave entrance.

Pot Shard

More commonly referred to as “pot sherd,” pot shard is a colloquial term for ceramic sherds, common artifacts found in archaeological sites. Currently, archaeologists in the U.S. use the term “sherd” to refer to a fragmented piece of a prehistoric or historic ceramic vessel, while the term “shard” refers to a fragmented piece of glass.

In the 16th Century, the time the Spanish arrived in the territory, the Mojaves were the largest concentration of people in the Southwest. With the ever-growing insurgence of non-Indian people to the region traditionally occupied by Pipa Aha Macav, a United States military outpost was established in 1859 on the east bank of the Colorado River to give safe passage to American immigrants traveling from east to west. Initially, this outpost was called Camp Colorado, but it was soon renamed Fort Mojave. After the military fort was closed in 1891, the buildings were transformed into a boarding school, which operated until 1930. Ruins of Fort Mojave still exist today as a reminder of the once-troubled historic relationship between Pipa Aha Macav and American civilization. The ruins are located on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River just south of the boundary of present-day Bullhead City.

With the ever-growing insurgence of non-Indian people to the region traditionally occupied by Pipa Aha Macav, a U.S. military outpost established in 1859 on the east bank of the Colorado River to give safe passage to American immigrants traveling from east to west. Initially, this outpost was called Camp Colorado, but soon was renamed Fort Mojave. After the military fort was closed in 1891, the buildings were transformed into a boarding school, which operated until 1930. Ruins of Fort Mojave still exist today as a reminder of the once-troubled historic relationship between Pipa Aha Macav and American civilization. The ruins are located on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, just south of the boundary of present-day Bullhead City.

The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign Indian nation with 32,000 acres of land in Arizona, Nevada and California. The Tribe’s upbeat economy provides job opportunities for thousands of people through casino gaming, a championship golf course, agriculture, a tribal power company and generating station, residential subdivisions and a new indoor multi-use arena, Mojave Crossing Event Center located in Arizona.

Mohave County Arizona is great winter 4 wheeling with hundreds of miles of old wagon trails, caves and abandoned mines to explore.

Lake Mohave a 67 mile long reservoir covers approximately 30,000 surface acres to a maximum depth of 120 feet. There are three marinas with launch ramps, two in Arizona (Willow Beach and Katherine’s Landing) and one in Nevada (Cottonwood Cove). There is also a launch ramp at Princess Cove on the Arizona side near Katharine’s landing. Camping is available at Cottonwood Cove and Katherine’s Landing. Shoreline camping is permitted. Campers should carry out their trash and provide for adequate sanitation.Both narrow and shallow compared to Lake Mead, Lake Mohave lies between the Black Mountains to the east in northwestern Arizona, and the Eldorado and Newberry Mountains to the west in southern Nevada. Most of the lake’s length lies within the steep, narrow walls of Black, Eldorado, Painted, and Pyramid canyons.