Located in the Moapa Valley and excavated over three field seasons beginning in 1970 and ending in 1972, the Steve Perkins site produced 34,412 artifacts including numerous pot sherds, lithics, and plant remains. By carefully documenting and analyzing these artifacts, researchers were able to follow the transition from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to a dependence on agriculture. Seeing the growing dependence on agriculture in the archaeological record is rare in this area, thus adding to the significance of the site. Over the centuries many changes took place in both the architecture and pottery styles of the people. For instance, during the first occupation, labeled the late Basketmaker period, the architecture consisted of 5 pit houses located at the southern end of the site.
Pit houses are non-adjoining structures whose floors are beneath the ground.
In contrast, the architecture of the second occupation, labeled the Pueblo II period, was dominated by pueblo villages. In addition to architectural changes, the pottery also went through stylistic changes. However, in both cases the pots were often used for cooking and storage, and were thought to have been both produced on site and imported. Just as the housing and pottery styles changed, so too did the people's subsistence strategies. Evidence suggests that the late Basketmaker people procured most of their food through hunting and gathering.