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White River Narrows Archeological District
Calendar Fence Site
Calendar Fence Site
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Calendar Fence

Overview

The White River Narrows Archeological District is an area of outstanding petroglyphs that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is one major site (Amphitheater) and four minor sites (Calendar Fence, Martian Home, Cane Site A, and Ash Hill) in this area.

Calendar Fence Site is a small site composed of one long horizontal line with a multitude of short vertical lines rising up from the horizontal line (the fence), and a short oval-shaped loop that hangs below the fence. There are a couple of other marks on the stone, but they might be recent additions. There is graffiti, but no other petroglyphs in the immediate area.

The BLM and Lincoln County opened this area to the public. The BLM printed a single-sheet flier, and Lincoln County printed a 55-page brochure with information about the site (including GPS coordinates) as part of their Get Primitive tourism campaign. Download the brochure from Lincoln County or snatch a copy here.

Calendar Fence Site

Location

The White River Narrows Archeological District is located about 131 miles north of Las Vegas along Highway 318. For location details and waypoints, see White River Narrows Archeological District overview. When driving in from the pavement, Calendar Fence is the first site along White River Narrows Road. Stay off these unpaved roads if they are muddy.

Link to Map.

Calendar Fence Site

The Solstice Calendar

As the sun moves across the sky on the summer solstice (June 20 or 21 depending on the year), a shadow-dagger stabs down across the rock face towards the calendar fence. At the same time, a shadow from the main cliff on the left moves to the right across the rock face shading the fence pickets one after another. At exactly the solstice, the shadow-dagger from above stabs the fence just as the right-moving shadow merges with the shadow-dagger to form a single shadow.

In a peculiar fashion, as the shadow continues to move across the rock face, and just before the entire rock is shrouded in shadow, a dagger of light seems to arise from the ground and points to the oval-shaped loop. More research is needed.

View a time-lapse sequence of about 60 still images that were used to create a short YouTube video of the solstice event.

Calendar Fence
Calendar Fence on the summer solstice (18 minutes before)
Calendar Fence
Calendar Fence on the summer solstice (4 minutes before)
Calendar Fence
Calendar Fence on the summer solstice (0 minutes before)
Calendar Fence
Calendar Fence on the summer solstice (20 minutes after)
Calendar Fence
Shadows seconds before solstice
Calendar Fence
Shadows seconds after solstice
Calendar Fence
Central solstice spot
Calendar Fence
Oval petroglyph below the fence
Calendar Fence
Details of the fence (left edge)
Calendar Fence
Details of the fence (center-left)
Calendar Fence
Details of the fence (center-right)
Calendar Fence
Details of the fence (right edge)
Calendar Fence
Darn, I just missed the solstice
Calendar Fence Site
Oval-shaped mark below the fence
Calendar Fence Site Calendar Fence Site
Calendar Fence Site
Open valley (view W)
Calendar Fence Site
Nope, nothing down that way (view E)

Calendar Site near Noon during Mid-Winter

Calendar Fence Site Calendar Fence Site
Calendar Fence Site Calendar Fence Site
Calendar Fence Site Calendar Fence Site

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240324

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