Archaeologists working in the high deserts of the Great Basin have uncovered a cache of turquoise-inlaid rattles carved from bighorn sheep horn, dating back approximately 4,000 years. The artifacts, found within a secluded rock shelter, were accompanied by residue of aromatic sage and desert resins, suggesting they were used in complex ceremonial contexts.
Researchers believe these rattles provide the earliest physical evidence of "Wind-Healing" festivals, traditions that persist in various forms among contemporary Indigenous groups in the region. The discovery challenges previous timelines for the development of organized ritual music and communal healing practices in the American West.