The Lynco Petroglyphs, also known as the Lillyhaven, Horse Creek, and Luther Elkins petroglyphs, are located south of Oceana, West Virginia, in Wyoming County, on a low cliff near the foot of a hill overlooking the level bottoms of the upper Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River.
They are often cited by advocates of "fantastic" or cult-archaeology as evidence that Irish monks visited or resided in West Virginia prior to Columbus' "discovery" of America.
The Council for West Virginia Archaeology maintains a page devoted to debunking this highly suspect theory. In December 2018 the W.Va. Council for Archaeology published an open letter challenging the fantastic assumption that non-indigenous peoples carved the rocks.
The site of the petroglyph is undeveloped though much-visited. To reach the petroglyph from the historic marker along Clear Fork Road (W.Va. Route 971) south of Oceana, turn off 971 at the marker onto Wyoming County Route 7, turn left onto Fifth Street, and follow through right curve, then turn into first dirt alleyway on left. Follow alley over railroad tracks and park in pull off on left. Walk along the tracks to the left, or southwestward, approximately 750 feet. Look for a path leading off the track-side trail and mounting the bank to the right. The path will ascend some 30 feet to the cliff.
NOTE: If you choose to visit this or any other petroglyph, W.Va. Division of Culture & History officials request that visitors refrain from touching the rock. Oils in human skin can cause the work to more quickly erode.
