Civet Cat Cave Archaeological Site Ranges 71 & 76 Nevada Test and Training Range

Summary

Civet Cat Canyon is a 5-mile long large drainage of the Cactus Range, located on north Pahute Mesa, Nye County, Nevada, on the Nevada Test and Training Range managed by Nellis Air Force Base. The Civet Cat Canyon road has become an integral passageway for personnel assigned to mission-related field work. At the intersection of Ranges 71 and 76, the canyon narrows to a view of a prehistoric and historic archaeological site that utilized the volcanic basalt canyon walls in an atypical process, shown on Map 1. Circa 1930, ranchers created a unique line shack using cement to seal a crevice in the west canyon wall, depicted in Photo 1. The surface of the east wall is sealed with patina, a varnish-like epidermis created from natural weathering. This dark bedrock is ideal for pecking and etching to leave white lines of the images, depicted in Figure 1. While aborigines etched ceremonial petroglyphs at this important religious site, ranchers also etched their designs including an unusual steer’s head motif.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Nellis Air Force Base Cultural Resources Archive   •
• Nellis AFB - Survey Reports

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Contact(s): Nellis Air Force Base CRM Manager

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