Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Spring equinox observation
Southern Utah’s Parowan Gap, about 15 miles northeast of Cedar City, is a popular gathering point during equinoxes and solstices, when the light of the rising or setting sun passes through a V-shaped notch between two hills.
The area — which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places — is home to hundreds of Native American petroglyphs, suggesting people have been drawn to Parowan Gap for more than a thousand years.
Unlike the glyphs found in many other sites in the region, these etchings are less pictorial and more geometric, and many include repeated symbols. Experts believe some of the Parowan Gap glyphs function as calendars, marking the days between celestial events.
The Parowan Heritage Foundation will host an observation of the spring equinox at 6 p.m. March 17 at Parowan Gap. The free event includes an interpretive tour of the petroglyphs, so visitors should wear good walking shoes and bring drinking water.
Call 435-463-3735 for more information.
Atlatl competition
Dust off your Ice Age hunting skills: Valley of Fire State Park will host the 27th annual World Atlatl Competition next month.
An ancient weapon that predates the bow and arrow, the atlatl is a device used to throw a spearlike dart.
At Valley of Fire’s Atlatl Rock, Anasazi hunters etched images of these throwing sticks into the rock wall more than 2,000 years ago.
The six-day competition is expected to draw participants from across the country beginning March 14 at the Atlatl Rock picnic area, about an hour northeast of Las Vegas. There will be atlatls available for those who do not own one but wish to participate.
The event is free, but the park entrance fee is $10, or $8 for Nevada residents.
For more information, visit worldatlatl.org/events/27th-annualworld-atlatl-competition.