Editorial: Hidden treasures for archaeologists

Las Vegas didn't become a city until 1905, so tourists and new residents often remark how "young" Las Vegas is, noting the lack of old buildings and a dearth of history compared to most other major cities in the nation. But once you scratch beneath the surface -- literally -- you'll find that observation is an oversimplification.

As the Sun's Mary Manning reported Tuesday, archaeologists are excavating artifacts near Little Spring, which is located a stone's throw south of U.S. 95 and is near Valley View Boulevard. The Las Vegas Valley Water District is trying to restore parts of Little Spring that once delivered water to the area's earliest settlers. In addition, the water district is using funds from a Nevada Commission on Cultural Affairs grant to allow Greg Seymour and his team of researchers to look for any artifacts left by the Anasazi Indians, who traveled through the region about 5,000 years ago.

While there is much to marvel with all the new hotel-casinos, restaurants and businesses in the Las Vegas Valley, at the same time efforts such as these to save our past also are important, preserving a historical link for current and future generations of Las Vegans.

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