Travelers
on Interstate 80, heading east of Sparks, Nevada, have no idea what’s located
about two miles from the Vista Boulevard exit.
They
have no idea with good reason. No one would think that wedged between the
vehicles racing more than 70-miles-per-hour on the Interstate and the Truckee
River is a rock platform containing prehistoric petroglyphs.
Known
as the Court of Antiquity, allegedly because Native American people once met
there in council, the site is an historic treasure that, while not in the best
of conditions, has no doubt survived because it’s so difficult to reach.
From
Sparks, the best way to get to the Court of Antiquity is by traveling about three
miles to a sharp turnout on the right of the Interstate (it appears to be an
abandoned rest stop or road). After parking, you must walk west for nearly a
mile to reach the site.
A
few words of advice, cars on the interstate are going fast. Really fast.
Remember to signal well ahead of time before attempting to turn-off to avoid
any accidents. Additionally, the site is on a bench adjacent to a steep drop
off, just above the river, so walk carefully.
In
2011, Washoe County officials actually hired an architectural firm to develop a
plan for a public park at the site (the plan can be found online) but since
then there has been no effort to preserve the site or make it more available to
the public for unknown reasons.
According
to the plan, a gravel road leading to a parking area would be developed from
the east of the site, which literally sits on a cliff above the river. One
trail would lead to a seating area offering a view of the rock art with
interpretive signage while another would lead to an overlook of the river with
more interpretive signs.
Today
when you view the site, the experience is both inspiring and kind of
depressing. Inspiring because the petroglyphs, while worn by the elements and
the effects of time, can still be viewed; depressing because the site is
littered with garbage tossed from passing cars or left by people who appear to
have visited and/or camped in the area.
Physically,
the site consists of a flat rock platform or floor on which several
petroglyphs, which are prehistoric rock writing, have been carved. Surrounding
the rock floor are two-to three-foot stone walls on which more petroglyphs are
carved.
The
images, which may be thousands of years old, include squiggly lines and shapes,
round shapes with centipede-like legs, something resembling a paw print, and
other interesting drawings.
According
to most historians, rock art like that found at the court should be viewed as a
system of communication but not writing. Since little is known about those who
created it, the exact meaning of the symbols and images is not known.
Since
the site isn’t easy to reach at the present time, one of the best ways to view
it is Howard Goldbaum’s 3D imagery found at https://allaroundnevada.com/court-of-antiquity/.
Goldbaum,
who is a recently-retired University of Nevada, Reno journalism professor, has
created a phenomenal tool for getting a true sense of the place without having
to go there. Prompts on the images allow you to view them from afar as well as
close-up and allow excellent views of many of the symbols carved in the rock
walls and surfaces.
