Mt. Irish Archaeological District
The Mt. Irish Archaeological District is an expansive 640-acre swath of land with scenic rock formations laden with significant petroglyphs. This region of Eastern Nevada was first settled by hunter-gatherers as long as 4000 years ago, when the Mt. Irish area was used as a short-term stopping point for those hunting bighorn sheep and collecting piñon pine nuts. Visits became more frequent from 2,000-500 years ago, and even into the 1860s when white settlers arrived the Southern Paiute people still routinely used the area.
The Mt. Irish District contains nearly a dozen individual petroglyph sites, but the greatest concentration lies at the top of Shaman Hill and Shaman Knob. Among them is imagery of the "Pahranagat Man", an anthromorphic figure unique to the Pahranagat Valley. He is believed to be a spiritual or supernaturally powerful being. Protection of the District was undertaken by the Bureau of Land Management in 1970, and since 2015 it has been included in the Basin and Range National Monument. Brochures and primitive walking trails make Mt. Irish a worthwhile stop to spend some time.
