Mount Irish Petroglyphs

Mount Irish Petroglyphs

This is an impressive and large petroglyph area with three main clusters of petroglpyhs; Paiute Rocks, Shaman Hill, and Shaman Knob. Archeologists think some of the petroglyphs here could date from 1000 BC. One very interesting, and unique, petroglyph repeated here is the so-called Pahranagat Man. He shows up a few times here, at the Shooting Gallery and at a few other sites in Pahranagat Valley, but nowhere else.

We visited the site for the first time in March of 2003 and then again in September of 2010. Spring and fall make the best times to spend some time here.

Please leave no trace and take only photographs. Petroglyphs are an irreplaceable part of our history. Please respect and protect them. Also, please don’t camp here. There are plenty of other places to camp nearby and the area is now inside of the Basin and Range National Monument.

Mount Irish Petroglyphs
58 photos
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
We revisited the site in 2010. This area is known as Paiute Rocks. This is the atlatl rock panel. Compare to earlier photo.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Close up of the atlatl glyph.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
A few anthropomorphs.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Lone sheep.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
More sheep migrating.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Dots and lines. You tell me.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
This panel looks unchanged since 2003.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Some of the petroglyphs are getting faint.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Long curvilinear connecting to anthropomorph. Lots of circles here too.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Deer and ??
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
One sheep is much more recent than the others, which look more like deer.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Sheep?
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Close up of a sheep.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Alysia photographs the panel.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Some sections have flaked off.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The weather takes its toll.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Shield?
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
We move on to the next hill, which is known as Shaman Knob.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The square figures in the center are known as Patterned Body Anthropomorphs. I'm not so sure they are anthropomorphs.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Closer view of sheep and anthropomorphs.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Pahranagat man shows up again. His limbs are newer additions which make me wonder. Perhaps they have been re-traced? I hope not.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
These are the only faint pictographs I notice at the site.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
A close up of "Sombrero man". I think the sombrero is more likely a shield of some type.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Same panel. Note the other guys with "shields".
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Two of the anthropomorphs with shields or ??
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Wider view of the rock outcrop. Pahranagat man is on the lower section.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Another Pahranagat anthropomorph.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Sheep and dots again.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Sheep and grids. Nets? The sheep and grids are from two different time periods.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Deer?
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Sheep and dots.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Square bodied anthropormorphs?
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
A few small ones.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Lines.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Rain? Counting?
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The same panel with a wider view.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
This is known as the Lizard panel.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Another shot with the lizard to the upper left.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Close up of the lizard.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Very interesting petroglyph.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
A large sheep followed by many others.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
More sheep.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
We come to the last panel. It is on a large flat rock with many sheep.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Closer view of 3 of the sheep. Is the front one also pregnant? Do the forward curving horns mean this sheep is female? Aggresive? We may never know for sure.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Is the upper right sheep pregnant? Note the long curving horns.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Cat and Alysia check out a large panel on our first visit here in 2003.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs cover whole walls here.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
There are thousands of petroglyphs here.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Some rocks are completely covered. Note the possible atlatl in the upper right.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The rock has fallen away in places and lichen have grown over some of the petroglyphs.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
All sorts of interesting designs.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Some are very faint.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
Pieces of the rhyolitic rock have fallen away.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
A stylized square bighorn. Some anthropomorphs and shields or bags or sombreros(?) below. Probably not really sombreros.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The outhouse was in poor condition. Funny, how there is only a women's outhouse.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The petroglyph in the upper center is quite interesting. He is famous Pahranagat Man. A repeated petroglyph in this region.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
These sheep and dots are high up and hard to reach.
Mount Irish Petroglyphs
The amount and variety of the petroglyphs is pretty amazing.

Last Updated on August 2, 2020 by Guy Starbuck