Along a heavily vandalized stretch of varnished rock one of the most interesting sites in the Mohave manages to hang on and escape damage. Among the many petroglyph elements at this site are panels that appear to illustrate a shaman transforming into his animal form.
This site is in Kawaiisu territory, like the Steam Wells site, where a similar theme of a shaman’s experience during a vision quest is depicted.
The petroglyph panels that make up this site are not too far from each other along a wash that once formed a major travel route. One panel is Abstract, the other contains Representational images. Let’s look at the second panel first.
The petroglyphs are lower down on this outcropping. In the lower left we have an outcropping with anthropomorphs on it, and above it a very interesting procession spread across two rocks. Finally, in the lower right quadrant there is another anthropomorph.
To understand what this site likely depicts you first need to understand a bit about the relationship a shaman had with the world. Caves and cracks in the rocks were often seen as entrances to the spirit world, a place from which to start a vision quest.
Mind-altering substances, such as datura or Native tobacco, was ingested to help the shaman embark on vision quests. One common side-effect of ingesting these substances is hallucinating that the body is undergoing physical change, such as stretching, distorting, or growing fur.
It is not hard to see how a shaman undergoing this experience would draw the conclusion that during the quest he actually transformed into a spirit animal, such as a bighorn sheep.
This site appears to document this experience, showing shamans transforming into bighorn sheep and rattlesnakes. Let’s take a closer look:
At first glance this petroglyph looks like it might be depicting a bighorn sheep — a very common petroglyph motif in the Great Basin — but note the legs. They bend forwards at the front and backwards at the rear. This is exactly opposite from how the legs of four-legged animals articulate. However, the arms and legs of a human on all fours would look just like this.
See how much that looks look like a human, down on all fours, transforming into a sheep! The Kawaiisu were perfectly capable of depicting life-like sheep and deer, so the artist more than likely did not make an honest mistake by getting the legs all wrong here – this was deliberate.
In addition to this large central figure there are also several pecks scattered around this figure that appear to be deliberately placed. This is interesting too – under the influence of datura it is typical to see tiny dots surrounding objects.
There is also an indistinct element above the transforming shaman, and a smaller figure below it, which I’ll say more about in a minute. Finally, note that this figure appears to be phallic. This is not uncommon, both in rock art and in art thought to depict shamanistic activities.
There is a second shape behind the transforming shape that also appears to be a conflation between human and animal. Unfortunately some of the rock has chipped away so we do not get as clear a picture of this figure’s head. Also look at the small companion below the larger figure: could that be Coyote? Coyote shows up frequently in myths told throughout the Great Basin.
There is more still to these panels of petroglyphs – the two shamans transforming into sheep that we saw are facing left. To the left of them, on the next rock outcropping, there are two bighorn sheep galloping across the rock.
Those could be shamans already transformed, or perhaps the same two shamans now in sheep form … or … they could just be sheep!
These elements all face left, which is a natural direction to shape a form if you start at the head or nose and work right-handed.
Read the transformation from right to left, as shamans transform into bighorn sheep and bound away. Also in this picture are some anthropomorphs on the lower outcropping, which we’ll look at soon.
A close look at the two sheep.
This is only one of the two panels at this site that appear to depict a shaman transforming. There is another transformation going on a little lower down and to the right.
In this case, it appears to be a human figure transforming into a rattlesnake. It is a little more symbolic in this case: the rattlesnake is very commonly depicted as zig-zags in rock art, mimicking the trails they leave on the desert floor, and it is the zig-zags by this figure that offers evidence that this is a transformation.
Look closely at the figure’s left side: it is transforming from a zig-zag pattern, starting below the armpit, and the left leg is a zig-zag line. Maybe this depicts a shaman transforming back into his human form: the zig-zag lines to the left of the figure are the trails he left in snake form, and he is transforming back to human, his right side human again and the left side still snake-like.
The zig-zag lines lower down the rock is thrown into relief but you need to look closely to see the jagged left side and the zig-zag line extending upwards from the left leg.
The four anthropomorphs on the lower rocks are the least interesting figures in this panel. They are not particularly well-drawn, but they might be witnesses to the events above them, or perhaps be the final segment of a circular depiction – shaman to animal to shaman – or they might have nothing to do with the story above them at all!
The upper antropomorph has bowed legs and a potbelly. Someone’s fat uncle?
The four anthropomorphs from a different angle. The one furthest to the right looks like a starfish!
Another pecked animal petroglyph. Judging by the long horns sweeping backwards it may be an antelope. This animal has four legs and appears to be calmly walking.
This is a very nicely pecked sheep petroglyph, complete with tail and backwards curving horns, pecked a little ways down the wash. The smaller size of the horns suggest that it is a female bighorn sheep.
On the other side of the wash is another petroglyph panel, on a single surface, that mostly holds Abstract elements, though there is also one darkly revarnished deer in the upper left corner.
This is a rather nice abstract panel just across the wash from the panel we just looked at. The figure on the very far right looks like an atlatl. There is also a deer in this panel that would be easier to spot if you clicked on it to open it to full size. The light spot in the upper left is its head. It faces to the right.
What is not depicted in these photographs is the absolute proliferation of graffiti and vandalism. It is unfortunate, though you could argue that these petroglyphs themselves are graffiti. They seem to have been crafted for a spiritual purpose, though, as opposed to just “I was here” doodles carved into the rock. But maybe they, too, were a way for an insignificant human being to make a mark that said: I was at this place.
If you visit, please make sure to add nothing, and take nothing away – except your photos! This is a nice place to visit and was quite busy on a weekend, too. You’ll need 4WD to safely get to it, though – there are some deep sandy spots on the way.