Petroglyphs and Pictographs
Note 1: There are lots of photos, so it takes awhile to load this page.
Note 2: These are the first pictures we have worked up, there are more photos on ancient sites like Lowry Pueblo Ruins, Hovenweep and Mesa Verde which I will put up soon.
Well, this spring my wife Carolyn and I drove down to Arizona to visit my father and "Mommy". We took less than blue highways most of the way, taking some beautiful side trips on old state and US roads in excellent condition in all of the states we visited. We avoided interstates as much as possible.
We drove out of Eugene on route 126 through Bend to Burns turning south on Oregon 78 past Malherur Lake and Steens Mountain to Burns Junction where we picked up US 95 to McDermott, Nevada then on through to Winnemucca. We had to take Interstate 80 about 50 miles east to pick up Nevada 308 south to Austin. A great road, light traffic, beautiful landscape, smooth pavement. It was big silver country at one time and these are the boomtowns trying to hang on. East on US 50 to Eureka another old silver mininng town. No McDonalds in these parts. The ice cream sandwiches are from the 50's (really!!!.... with yellowed frost on the outside of them a quarter inch thick) but the people are real nice and we all ate them together. This part of north central Nevada is arid - like the rest of it. Aside from Winnemucca, all beautifully desolate in the green of spring with a refreshing touch of yesterday.
The first site we stopped in was Hickison petroglyhs. We also visited Sego Canyon, and the Freemont and Arches petroglyphs, Hovenweep, Lowry Pueblo, Mesa Verde and other smaller sites. Some of the pics are posted below.
The Hickison Petroglyphs
Hickison petroglyphs are two sandstone outcroppings about 25 miles east of Austin on US 50. You can't miss it. It has a developed campground and picnic area adjacent to the rock art.
It is said hunters would wait for deer to pass through here. The rocks offer
shade from the blazing afternoon sun. Artists would pass time here in the shade with
various styles of inscriptions and drawings. It appears most have been molested,
although parts of most panels remain.
A symbol perhaps suggestive
of a female symbol is prevalent at this site. One panel has several
pictures where the symbol which seems to morph into the head of seed grain.
( The first animation ? ).
The scrollwork here looks vaguely Celtic or even oddly, looking at the additional work above Ogam.
Sego Canyon, Utah
Sego Canyon Map
Sego Canyon can be found on a map of Utah, but you could drive
right past one of the most magnificent sites without knowing.
It is only a few miles off Interstate 70 near Thompson. We drove
into the area at night and took a dirt road up a
narrowing canyon with eighty foot cliffs on both sides. The dirt
road was getting sparse, so we pulled over for the night. We awoke
to beautiful artwork. We were looking at Wall A ....
Sego Canyon Wall A
This wall has a number of different time zones represented in the
rock art. Most of the art on this wall is historic Ute (post 1500AD), as can be
seen by the images of horses and men on horseback. One group of images
seems to show the differences between "white" men and "red" men by
scratching one's legs white and dyeing the other red. It also appears as if
the native war shield was being compared with the Host being carried
by missionaries. Many animals are depicted on this wall. Graffiti has
corrupted some of the site, but it is largely intact. Below is a close up
picture of Wall B. The figures in the background are easier to see in a smaller picture below.
Sego canyon Wall B
This wall - B - does not depict horses. The rock shelf used by the
artists to stand on to work this wall has fallen down leaving it inaccessible.
Vandals have hung a cable from above to reach this art. Note the name "Gay Wheple"
on the left side of this panel. Some of the panels seem to have had sections of stone
seperated from the rest of the wall and have disappeared. Some of this may have been from
natural aging, from miscalculating artists chipping at the wrong place, but
in examining the site, I believe some people have stolen sections of art from
the rock walls. The photo below shows a suspicious cut in the stone.
| Note the red stain figures. These appear to be older than the pecked
rock art petroglyphs on top of them. They Dominate Walls C and D. I presume they are
older as they They have do not depict horses. The positions of Walls C and D in the canyon are like
a funnel. All travel must go through the narrow pass between these two walls. To this day
it is a boundary for Paiute land. A sign posted clearly warns against trespassing on Paiute property. I believe
these walls depict demons used to intimidate would be encroachers and trespassers long ago.
I'll bet they were intimidating. Just look at the size of these things by the
picture of Wall C below. Carolyn is in the picture for scale. |
Sego Canyon Wall C
The red dye has faded to an eerie effect today. Ghostly apparitions stand behind closer
spirits that seem to have something pending for you. The series of pictures that follow
are details from different parts of Wall C.
Wall C Detail double photo
Sego Canyon Wall C
Sego Canyon Wall C
Sego Canyon Wall C
The photograph below shows the incredible number of pictures that have been painted, pecked,
scratched, picked and carved at this site. It is at the bottom center of Wall C. If you look back
at the double picture of Wall C above you will see the female symbol that dominates this photo (Similar to the image at Hickison). In that picture, everything else surrounding appears as a blur, but in this picture the detail becomes evident. The close up reveals the deep
history of endless artists leaving their marks on this spot. Also note another suspicious break
in the sandstone as if someone removed a piece of the art.
Sego Canyon Wall C Super Detail
Sego Canyon Wall D
These are the Demons on the other side of the canyon facing Wall C. Ominously looming in
recesses and on ledges around central figures are animals and lesser demons. Several pieces
appear to have been removed. It appears that Wall D has sustained some damage from gunshots.
Some lightweights thought defacing centuries old art would be fun. You can see the damage below.
It appears that an entire section here has fallen down. Likely from repeated gunshots into the
sandstone which then breaks away in sheets.
Sego Canyon Wall D
Sego Canyon Wall D
.........Note the gun shots.
Arches
Here is Carolyn descending from taking some close ups of historic Ute petrogylphs near Delicate Arch.
Arches Petroglyphs
Capitol Reef
Now this was typical. We had zig zagged a hundred miles out of our way to go to
John Barnett's bakery outside of Bryce Canyon for his delicious banana bread again. Then we meandered
on through Escalante, up to Boulder (Anasazi country) then up to Capitol Reef National Monument. The road runs along the Fremont river through a narrow canyon. We got
there at dusk, no it was a little later. We were the only ones there. In the fading light I ran up to
the rock and took this picture. I had seen pictures of it before, but up close - I was in awe. The picture
says some of it ... but ... you really have to jump the fence at dusk to really get the feel.
Fremont
Who are those guys ? I offer no explanations or interpretations.
Note...no horses ... so it is likely prehistoric.
Lowry Pueblo Ruins
Email your comments, pictures etc to : John Waters at
ashback@inorbit.com
