White River Narrows – Site VI

Lincoln County, Nevada, White River Narrows, Pahranagat Valley, Pahranagat Man, rock art, petroglyphs, pictographs, Great Basin Desert, desert, Las Vegas, Basin and Range National Monument, offroad, offroading, off road, off roading, off-road, off-roading, hiking, camping, Native Americans
The main road leading into the site…very scenic (click to enlarge)

The White River Narrows archaeological district in Lincoln County has some spectacular locations.  Many of these sites are well publicized by the county, with online literature and maps leading directly to the locations.  This is one of those sites.  I haven’t come across an official name for the site…it’s usually depicted simply as “Site VI.”  What makes this site unique is the sheer density of petroglyphs, filled with anthropomorphic figures, zoomorphs (big horn sheep, lizards, coyotes, deer, etc.), rakes, spirals, circles, fertility symbols, hand prints, foot prints (human, bear, cat) and abstract lines & symbols.  There’s even a Pahranagat-style PBA (click here to learn more), which is the northern most known example.

The rock art at this location are interpretations localized to the Basin & Range area.  There isn’t much literature on who is thought to have created these petroglyphs, but it’s most likely the Southern Paiute, or perhaps Fremont.  The dating on these petroglyphs are roughly 4,000 years-old.

The White River Narrows area is a long, meandering valley carved by the White River between 11,700 years and 2.5 million years ago.  It’s a magnificent area, bisected by US-93.  The solitude and beauty leads to a seemingly never-ending possibility for exploration.  Even though the county has done a nice job listing some of the rock art sites, there are LOTS of great sites not listed.  So, take the time to get out and explore and you’ll be surprised at what you come across.

Please click on the images below – Please note the video below the gallery:

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