How did ancient desert cultures obtain food in the Great Basin?

Ancient cultures in the Great Basin sustained themselves primarily through a hunting and gathering lifestyle, following an annual round that exploited various ecological zones as resources became available.12

Vegetal foods typically comprised more than 70 percent of their diet, with over 200 species of plants utilized. Key staples included wild seeds, roots, and piñon nuts, the latter of which were gathered in upland groves each autumn and stored for winter. Some groups also practiced limited horticulture or irrigated patches of wild seed plants to increase yields.132

Hunting and fishing provided essential protein. Small game, such as rodents, were captured using snares, traps, or hooked sticks, while larger animals like deer, elk, and mountain sheep were taken with bows and arrows, traps, or deadfalls. Rabbit drives were a significant communal activity. Near rivers and lakes, people used nets, harpoons, and fish weirs to catch fish, particularly during spawning runs, and employed decoys to hunt waterfowl. Tools for processing these foods included baskets, nets, digging sticks, and milling stones for grinding seeds.132