This was one of the most rewarding site hunts I’ve ever had. Over a couple of years I pieced together a variety of small clues, finally discovering one key piece of information that revealed the location. This is one of my favorite things about visiting these sites – the search itself! Just grabbing some coordinates and barreling straight for a site is not as satisfying as doing the legwork towards discovery for myself, and experiencing that moment when all the clues come together to reveal the location.
This site, in Joshua Tree National Park, is a rare example of a still pristine site. Like the “High Noon” site these pictographs are in a hollow boulder and therefore completely protected from the elements. The lack of bleaching sunlight, scouring wind-borne sand and scrubbing rain means these pictographs are still as crisp and vivid as they were the day they were painted.
The National Park does not draw attention to this site. While I would not mind these being opened up to respectful visitors, I have also seen so many distracted, disrespectful, or disinterested tourists going through the motions, brushing right by some of the more well-known sites and maybe snapping a picture before flitting on to the next thing.
Now, let’s look at photos!
There is a lot to see in this picture which was taken from the back of the little cave, looking towards the low entrance. All of these elements will be shown and discussed in more detail below. The orange peel in the lower left was left by a previous visitor. I meant to take it with me to dispose of but forgot.
A slightly different angle, also showing the author’s legs with dusty knees. This photo was taken with a wide-angle lens so the depth perspective is really flattened. In reality the panel right in front of the author bulges out. Look at the panel above the low entrance – there are several rows of circles connected with a line that bisects each circle. Below these you can see a diamond pattern. These diamond chains are linked to female puberty rituals. There are also some tally marks and Rectilinear elements that will be shown more clearly later. Now look at the panel in front of the author. Unlike the delicately rendered elements by the entrance the elements on this bulge of rock are crudely, even hastily, drawn. These elements closely match descriptions of entoptic patterns seen when under the influence of hallucinogenic substances like datura or Native American tobacco.
Let’s take a look towards the entrance and the wall on the left side of it. This cave really is tiny, so again the author’s legs spoil the frame. This picture has more depth to it – now you can clearly see that the pictographs by the entrance are in a little alcove of their own and the entoptic elements described earlier are on a rocky curve outside of that alcove. On the other side of the entrance there are some dense patches of pigment – and right at the top of the photo you can see that the pictographs are on the ceiling as well. Pretty much the entire inside of this little cave is covered in pictographs. Amazing place.
Here’s a better look at those dense patches of pigment. Some of them are a little indistinct – let’s use some DStretch to get a clear look. That funky little burst element in the center of the picture looks especially interesting
There we go! The little burst is missing rays on the right side, where a quartered circle takes up room. DStretch also shows two very faded bisected circles, in the right center of the picture.
From archeological investigations at this site and others in the vicinity we know that these pictographs could date back to as early as 1,000 AD. Recovered sherds and lithic artifacts suggest a range from around 1,000 AD all the way up to around a hundred years ago, at the turn of the nineteenth century, for site usage. The pictographs could have been created at any time during that occupation.
The midden deposits around this site have yielded plentiful evidence that this site was used as a seasonal encampment for processing plant resources such as pine nuts and acorns. That makes the extensive pictographs all the more curious: what would have necessitated such an extensive, hidden display of rock art at a site that was only used during the harvesting months?
The wall that was at the author’s back for the first picture. First, note how part of the wall has exfoliated away in the upper left. It looks like a complex burst-type element was destroyed by this. There are also more of the bisected circle elements on this panel.
DStretch is helpful here. There seems to be a faint ship’s wheel-like element to the right of the exfoliated burst ( upper center of the picture ) – maybe the artist attempted to erase this after drawing it? In the lower left there is another burst, and also some more diamond motifs.
We can guess at the purpose of some of the elements. For instance, red pigment was the female color for some Southern Californian tribes and used during female puberty rites, and except for one spidery Rectilinear element all elements at this site is painted in dark red pigment even though there appear to be two distinct styles of painting.
Strengthening the possibility that this site was used for puberty rituals are the diamond motifs at this site: while they also appear at shaman power sites to represent the rattlesnake, a common vision quest helper, they were often used in association with female puberty rites throughout southern and central California.
This little alcove is to the right of the entrance, just past the bulging wall with the cruder elements on it ( one of which is visible top left in this picture ). The wall is blackened from fire. The whole cave would certainly be dramatically lit by a small fire flickering here, out of direct sight of the entrance. Note the lone black element, a spidery Rectilinear element in the right of the alcove, just to the right of the blackened part.
A close look at the diamond chain by the entrance. Some of the bisected circles can be seen above the chain motif.
The diamond patterns aren’t the only motif with a known meaning present at this site. The rake elements are perhaps the truly ubiquitous rock art motif in California and are a known entoptic pattern.
Some of the other elements not on the main panel also have a thickened, trance-like feel to them. This certainly strengthens the argument that at least part of this site was tied to hallucinogenic visions.
These two theories – puberty rituals and hallucinogenic trances – need not be mutually exclusive. In some tribes both male and female puberty rituals were tied to a vision quests. Often these quests were brought about by deprivation or prolonged exposure to heat.
Finally, the motif of small, bisected circles joined by their bisecting lines is not unique to this site either – several other sites in Joshua Tree National Park also exhibit this motif. Very likely it had a specific cultural meaning.
An overview shot, holding the camera blindly closely the rear wall of the hollow.
This site is difficult to photograph since the hollow is cramped. You have to be very mindful of brushing against the walls as you squirm around trying to take it all in.
Additionally it is quite dark inside the boulder, especially if you visit as early as I did.
I have had two visits to this site now, and out of respect for its preservation I am very unlikely to visit again despite not being very satisfied with the photographs I have taken to date.
Don’t drop your camera in the sand.
The first take of photos, dating from my first visit a few years ago, is hardly worth anything: as I crawled in under the boulder I dropped my compact camera face down in the sand and the little lens opening jammed.
Those photos have a kind of artistic feel to them – diagonal slivers of red in a black frame – but they are not very helpful otherwise! My little camera was never the same after that fumble either.
My more recent visit was with more capable cameras but the pictures are grainy due to the low light levels in the cave. I do own an external camera flash but I forgot to pack it and the little pop-up flash is not very good!
Still, there is more to life than a set of exquisite photos. This site almost needs to be visited with no cameras in tow so you can just sit down and simply look and pay attention to every little detail.
The panel by the entry is the most densely painted part of the shelter and worth multiple looks. This picture was taken by holding the camera close to the ground at the back of the cave.
Another view of the entry panel.
DStretch of the entryway panel. Note the rake elements on the left. The diamond pattern and circles are also clearly visible.
This site is becoming better known as interest in the Park’s archeology increases. If you become aware of the location, enjoy your visit but be very mindful of the impact of visitations on this site. Don’t touch the pictographs, try not to spend too much time inside in order to minimize the moisture released into the cave, and definitely do not touch the walls!
Below a series of closer looks at some of the elements shown in the overview pictures above.
This little ladder-like element sits close to the ground on the smooth curve of rock to the right of the entry.
This element follow the ubiquitous rake-like pattern on the left, but the lines are braided together in the right half of it. The element is also on the curved portion of the rock. It looks like an element at the Up the Creek site, which is in a different tribe’s territory.
Along with the ladder and the rake-like element, this geometric element is painted in a slightly more maroon pigment than the others in the cave, suggesting that it was added at a different time than most of the other elements. All three of these elements are more entoptic in nature than the others and appears to be more thickly painted. They may have been created by a shaman under the influence of hallucinogenic substances.
A delicately painted, almost fern-like symbol closer to the entryway.
The arrow-like design and thickly painted circular design on the roof of the cave.
The funky little burst element and its companion circle, along with a smudged design. These elements are to the right of the arrow-like element in the previous picture.
Close-up of some of the bisected circles, carefully painted on the rough granite surface.
More carefully painted, beautiful images, at the upper right of the entryway panel.
Not all the strings of bisected circles end with only circles. This one ends in two hash lines.
Beautiful.
On the underside of the entryway lip there is a large dot of pigment.
One of the rake elements and some bisected circles.
A look at the diamond chain and the bisected circles. This panel is fascinating.
It is worth saying this one more time: this site is fragile and it best benefits from respectful visits. Be sure to do all you can to limit the impact of your visit on the site: do not touch the elements, do not litter, and limit your time there.
I am well aware of how fragile pictographs are, and these are no exception. Being enclosed in a little cave with a low entrance the moisture from the breath of many visitors would quickly deteriorate the pigment. Not to mention that the hollow is very cramped, as evidenced by how my legs kept showing up in the wide angle pictures. You have to take great care not to brush the walls.
That is the conundrum of conservation – balancing preservation with access. If I had a big pile of money I’d gladly employ artisans to create an replicate at the Park’s headquarters that any and all visitors could explore and admire to their heart’s content, but in the absence of such a pile of money, how do we proceed? There isn’t really consensus on that. Heck, even though I found this site several years ago I’m only now even writing about it.
The more sites I visit, the more I see the dreadful destruction, intentionally or through ignorance, that heavy visitation brings to any natural feature. It seems like a good compromise to leave these sites in relative obscurity. Those with a deep interest ( and therefore also a deep respect ) for these sites can put in the effort to discover and visit, while the casual or disinterested visitor is happy and content to experience other features on offer. This way everybody gets something out of their experience and the resources are preserved better for the generations to come.
Thank you for sharing your trip. I apologize for asking here, but I’ve been obsessed with finding the location of this cave, but I haven’t been successful. I just visited Joshua Tree last week and searched around what I though could be the area, based on my research. Returning home defeated, I bought DeathValley Jim’s book Hidden Joshua Tree, but I was disappointed that no clue was given to where this cave is.
I’m not asking for the GPS coordinates, but I’m hoping you could give some vital clue. I’ve been avidly searching for petroglyphs/pictographs ever since visiting the Khota Circus in Arizona.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/skimvision/34094461952/in/dateposted-public/
I might be revisiting Joshua Tree next week, so I’m hoping to gather more clues. I understand if you’re not willing to divulge any other clues, but I though I’d ask since I’ve been coming up empty after spending a lot of time sleuthing.
I have been searching for this cave for 6 months. Please give me a clue. I promise to keep it a secret. I explore all over the western states looking for these spiritual places.
look in hidden valley …
I went to Joshua tree 2 weeks ago and we came across a cave with petroglyphs in them as well it was near Pioneertown by Garth boulders. Some real sacred energy out there especially during the Halloween blue moon. It was crazy