Gatecliff Rockshelter, Archaeological site in Monitor Valley, Nevada, US.
Gatecliff Rockshelter is an archaeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located in the Toquima Range within Monitor Valley, Nevada. The shelter sits high up in Mill Canyon and contains dozens of stacked geological layers that record human activity over a very long period.
The site was found in 1970 and was excavated over the following years, uncovering evidence of occupation going back to around 5500 BCE. The digs showed that the shelter was used during several separate periods of prehistory, not as a permanent home but as a recurring stopping place.
The walls of the rockshelter carry painted figures and geometric shapes that visitors can see today. These images, alongside stone tools and animal bones found at the site, show how the place was used repeatedly over a very long span of time.
The site sits at high elevation in a mountain setting and the terrain is rough, so good physical condition is needed to reach it. Because it is an active research area, it is worth checking whether access is open before making the trip.
Gatecliff Rockshelter holds one of the deepest stratigraphic records found anywhere in the Americas, with layers reaching several meters down into the ground. This depth makes it one of the most informative sites for understanding how people lived in the Great Basin before written history.
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