Death Valley that can be made from a type of clay found in the valley. Some families still live in the valley at Furnace Creek. Another village was in Grapevine Canyon near the present site of Scotty's Castle. It was called in the Timbisha language "maahunu", whose meaning is uncertain, although it is known that "hunu" means "canyon". The valley received its English name in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. It was called Death Valley by prospectors and others who sought to cross the valley on their way to the gold fields, after 13 pioneers perished from one early expedition of
Death Valley pupfish is 4 times more saline than the ocean, hot water up to , and cold water down to . This species is known from only two locations in Death Valley: Salt Creek (subspecies "salinus") at about 49 meters below sea level, and Cottonball Marsh (subspecies "milleri"), at about 80 meters below sea level. They are thought to be the remainders of a large ecosystem of fish species that lived in Lake Manly, which dried up at the end of the last ice age leaving the present day Death Valley. The Salt Creek subspecies is also found at River Springs and