Late Anasazi, possible Early Paiute Style (?700 A.D. to ?1400A.D.) Clark County, Nevada
This site was discovered recently. It is hidden in a shallow canyon, which once meandered to the Colorado River and now is a tributary to Lake Meade.
The human figures are small with outstretched arms and legs. They are not heroic. The abstractions are simple, not decorative. In the middle 1100s, a drought drove new Anasazi migrations. The Anasazi people abandoned farms in this area and moved southwest to larger villages. It is possible that early Paiutes entering southwestern Utah and northeastern Nevada competed in this area with the Anasazi people for water and land resources.
Rock art near Las Vegas and elsewhere in Nevada is in jeopardy. The popular Sloan Canyon area has suffered every sort of vandalism, including the removal of rock art to be placed in local fireplace mantels. In 2004 a judge in Reno fined two men restitution costs of over $13,000 for the theft of three large boulders with rock art of bighorn sheep and an archer. The two men were also sentenced to short prison terms in the landmark case.
The Nevada Rock Art Foundation is directing rock art recording projects across the state of Nevada. Volunteers are documenting rock art sites to preserve ancient history for future generations. The Foundation believes that increased visitation requires an educated public who understand both the value of rock art and the etiquette of visiting a rock art site.;