Nevadans for Cultural Preservation

August 2025

Rayette Martin, with the dedicated support of trained volunteer Lois Etzel, took bold action against a surge of graffiti threatening the ancient rock art of the White River Narrows Archaeological District. Their restoration efforts, fully approved by the Archaeologist for the Basin and Range National Monument, aimed to protect and preserve this irreplaceable cultural landscape.

To outpace the intense summer heat, the team camped on-site and rose before dawn, working in the cooler hours to tackle the damage. Vandals had recklessly scratched over petroglyphs and pictographs—some thousands of years old—and defaced nearby rock surfaces with marker ink and even nail polish. Despite the scorching temperatures, the urgency was clear: the faster the damage is removed, the less likely it is to attract further vandalism.

While some of the worst-hit areas were close to the road, the team also discovered spray-painted rocks in more remote locations. Cleanup of those sites is being carefully scheduled for when daytime highs drop below 90 degrees, ensuring both safety and effectiveness.

Image: Left - enhanced to see the pictograph pigments under the scratched graffiti, Center - before photo without enhancement, Right - after the treatment was completed.