"Hill of 1000 Tombs"
(Garden of Eden)
"Was the Garden of Eden located in Nevada?" inquired a San Francisco newspaper article dated August 17, 1924. It referred to an ancient locale high on a basalt ridge overlooking the East Walker River. The story originated with Captain Alan LeBaron, who after learning about the site from local Frank Bovard contacted the Examiner with his claim that it was indeed the cradle of civilization. LeBaron theorized that the ridge itself was manmade, similar to the Pyramids, and gave it the moniker "Hill of a Thousand Tombs". He also likened petroglyphs at the site to Mayan, Babylonian, and Egyptian heiroglyphs. His theory was corroborated by a Dr. G. Elliott Smith of the University of London, who had a background as anthropologist, archaeologist, and Egyptologist, who exclaimed that "no such monument (had) ever before been reported on this continent...there is no other such monument in the world". Naturally, locals' awareness of other similar sites throughout the region led to skepticism, with one stating that "...LeBaron and his theories were cuckoo". Others recalled family picnics years prior to the 'discovery'. As it turned out, they were correct and the wild story was exactly that, fed by sensationalism.
In fact, the ridge had been recognized and described as a Paiute site by archaeologists as early as 1889. Not only are petroglyphs found, but also rock walls believed to have served as temporary shelters or hunting blinds. Further investigation has suggested that the ridge may have served as a hunting site for migratory game, with the topography providing an avantageous place for an ambush. Deer (and possibly antelope and mountain sheep) followed the river northward during the fall, and a narrow gap between the ridge and the mountains provided a natural funnel, which coupled with a crude fence could lead the animals to an inescapable floodplain.
