This pictograph site consists of an elaborate, if faded, main panel, and a secondary panel containing some pictographs and petroglyphs.
I have my doubts about the authenticity of parts of this site, both because of its location in a region famous for filming Westerns, and because the subject matter of the more elaborate panel reads like a Western retelling or interpretation of what pictographs may have been like — an interpretive depiction of a mysterious tale, told in symbolism.
That said, this is only my opinion, and some features of the site I will discuss in this entry argue against this interpretation.
This picture, taken from the southernly side of the site, shows the two rock faces with pictograph panels. The closest panel is a huge, scooped boulder, the further panel is on a smaller, more vertical rock.
The pictograph elements on the secondary panel are much less detailed than those on the main panel. This suggests that the secondary panel might be older, but the weathering of both are similar, and it is hard to believe that the artists bypassed the much better surface of the main panel to start with the secondary panel.
The elements on the main panel are unlike any others that I’ve seen or heard of in the region. Instead of the usual mix of representational and abstract elements, this panel consists entirely of representational elements. They are unusually detailed and elaborate, and seem to be arranged to tell a story, though this is speculation on my part.
I might have pinned this site as clearly modern if the weathering wasn’t so severe and the pigment didn’t seem so authentic. The concave rock face above the panels appears to offer some protection from the elements, so the extreme weathering suggests some age to these panel. The consistency and color of the pigment is similar to that found at other authentic sites, and it is clearly not the obviously modern paint that can sometimes be seen on vandalized sites. I am just speculating, though. For all I know this could be something like the “Disney Pictographs” in Joshua Tree National Park, painted for a long-ago Western flick and now forgotten.
With that bit of speculation out of the way, let’s examine the site, starting with the more southern panel.
This overview shot shows the panel inside the scooped boulder. The pigment colors used are red and white. The panel shows up much clearer in this photograph than it does in person, due to the camera lens’ superior ability to capture light.
Adding false color with DStretch enhances the red pigment and clearly shows the many designs.
Looking at the panel left to right, we can see a bighorn sheep facing left, with an indistinct figure below it ( possibly another sheep? Perhaps a deer! ). To the right of the bighorn sheep is a surprise for this region – the thunderbird!
Below the thunderbird is a symbolic human figure. Next there is dragonfly above a shaman, the latter flanked by two snakes. A humanoid / gecko-like figure to their right appears intent on a sun symbol, and finally, another beautiful gecko approaches from the far right. This last figure is outside the scooped portion of the boulder.
Examining the individual figures in the panel in more detail, left to right, we start with the upper sheep and the thunderbird to the right of it:
This image shows the left-facing bighorn sheep and the thunderbird to the right of it.
The bighorn sheep is a very common motif in petroglyphs in this area. The more well-known depiction style is known as the Cosos style, where the sheep have a distinct boat-shaped body and faces towards the viewer. In this case, the sheep is in profile, rendered with a large head, rectangular body, and no tail – quite different from the prevailing depiction of this mammal in the region.
In the enhanced photo below a very odd detail stands out — the sheep appears to be pregnant! If you look closely, you can see a tiny sheep standing inside the oval shaped “womb” inside the bigger sheep.
Applying liberal false color with DStretch pops the faded designs out of the photograph, enabling us to clearly see some additional details.
The Thunderbird behind this sheep is depicted in a stylized form. The Thunderbird plays an important role in the mythologies of many Native American tribes, so its presence here is very curious. To date I have not seen one depicted anywhere else in this region, which is predominantly known for petroglyphs, not pictographs.
Right below the sheep, and facing in the other direction, another large element is depicted against the curve where the alcove wall meets the floor. This element is rendered in red and white, unlike the two above it, painted only in red.
At first, it is hard to make out what this element represents. The body and legs of a four-legged animal is obvious enough, but apart from that, the figure is vague.
The animal figure below the bighorn sheep. To its right can be seen most of a stylized human figure.
With DStretch applied, we can see that the figure has two tails and is also facing left.
With a DStretch enhancement, the animal looks very much like a galloping deer with two tails, depicted in profile.
Another shot of the deer element, taken from a different angle, and run through a different DStretch algorithm, shows the stylized horns more clearly.
In contrast to the two animals, rendered in a representative style, the figure to the right of the deer appears to be rendered symbolically.
A look at the figure below the Thunderbird and to the right of the deer.
The same figure with a DStretch enhancement.
This figure takes the form of the symbol for a man that is found in some Native American art.
In this case there is also an embedded triangle in the chest cavity, perhaps depicting a heart.
The figure has a rake of five stripes above its head, and basic digits on its left hand. The rake element design is common in pictographs. With the lines pointed up, it is sometimes taken to symbolize spring or summer, but in the context of this design, it may well mean something different.
In its right hand this figure appears to be holding something, maybe aimed towards the hind quarters of the deer, but the weathering on the figure makes it hard to see more detail.
In the middle of this panel, to the right of the elements just described, there is a shaman flanked by snakes, with a dragonfly hovering above.
An overview of the central part of the panel, also showing some of the elements already discussed.
The panel hints at some interesting designs, but it is not until DStretch is applied that the full detail pops out.
DStretch applied.
The fringe along the bottom of his costume tells us this is a shaman. His left arm disappears in a set of three wavy lines. These lines are used in some regions to depict mountains. They can also be interpreted as water – or they may be something else entirely.
His right hand has ten lightening bolts emanating from it. Lightening is associated with power and speed amongst some tribes – and it is also associated with the Thunderbird, of course.
A dragonfly symbolizes various things to various tribes – from change or a transformative process, to happiness or purity. There may also be other meanings to this symbol that we no longer know.
The snake symbol has so many possible meanings that there is no point in speculation.
To the right of the shaman tableau there is a monstrous figure, reminiscent perhaps of a gecko, reaching for a beautiful spiral sun symbol – to steal? Consume? Worship?
DStretch details showing the spiral symbol and the figure reaching towards it.
Without DStretch, the spiral sun symbol, also painted in white and red, is faintly visible, but the figure reaching towards it can barely be discerned.
The final element in this panel lies outside the hollow, on the lower lip of the rock. It is a beautifully detailed depiction of a gecko:
While the gecko figure can be difficult to see if you’re focused on the interior of the hollow boulder, it is one of the less faded designs, and its shape and colors is clearly visible in this photograph. Note that the photograph is somewhat clearer than the figure appears in person, due to the slower shutter speed and sharp lens capturing more color than the human eye would.
Teasing more color out of the design with DStretch has a little bonus: the head of the figure reaching for the spiral sun is clearly visible – a crude, almost cartoonish depiction of a face.
Now we move to the secondary panel, which appears a little more weathered, and a lot more authentic:
This overview picture shows the boulder to the left of the one just discussed. Some petroglyphs are clearly visible. Closer inspection also shows some pictographs.
This picture shows the elements in the upper right of this panel. Small, abstract forms are reminiscent of designs found in the Pinto Basin area of the Mojave.
A DStretch enhancement makes the elements clearer. In the upper center there may be a Representational bighorn sheep, angling downward. Just below it, a spiral symbol sits to the left of a common abstract depiction of a dragonfly – a vertical line ending in a dotted head, with two crossbars representing the wings.
The lower portion of the panel contains abstract Linear forms, some similar to the rake-like elements dotting the region, as well as a hand symbol.
DStretch is again a valuable tool for lifting these designs out of obscurity.
A mixture of scratched petroglyphs and equally rudimentary pictographs in red pigment.
DStretch highlights these simple designs.
The lower portion of this panel is partially tucked under the overhang, visible to the center right here. This lower portion has the most interesting pictograph elements. This picture also shows the previous pictures in context.
DStretch hints at some interesting pictographs, but a closer look is needed.
A different angle and careful dStretch enhancement shows a delicate Curvilinear symbol, both ends ending in spirals, as well as a dapper little bighorn sheep. The design of this sheep is repeated, in much greater detail, at a pictograph site far to the south in Tübatulabal territory.
This site persists in apparent obscurity in a heavily frequented tourist area. Given its easy accessibility and the weathered nature of its art, this obscurity is the only thing allowing it to remain preserved. If you do happen upon this site, please do not touch the already faded designs. Your touch only hastens their decay by rubbing away pigment and leaving behind damaging skin oils. Instead, observe, take pictures to enhance digitally later on, and leave the site as you found it for others to discover and enjoy.