This site is perched in a steep draw, close to good water sources. As such, there are plentiful signs of habitation scattered among the jumble of boulders in the vicinity.
The site is situated among a jumble of boulders. In the foreground of this picture is a grinding slick on the closest boulder. The large boulder upper center holds petroglyphs which will be examined in more detail at the end of this entry.
Approaching from below, the obsidian flake scatter on the ground along with the sight of two rock shelters higher upslope are clear indicators that this is an area worth exploring.
The picture to the left shows the western edge of the site. The large light-colored boulder in the center of the picture has a large petroglyph design, difficult to see from a distance since the design was pecked shallowly and has suffered some erosion, and the flat rock in the foreground hosts a grinding slick.
Since this isn’t a very promising approach on first view, the natural impulse is to hike eastward, up towards the larger of the rock shelters.
A large concentric circle design at the top of a slender boulder.
This reveals the most striking petroglyphs at this site: a well-executed, precise concentric circle on top of a slender boulder.
As I climbed up towards the circular design, the western rock shelter came into view. The flat panel next to it also contains a few designs.
The carefully pecked grooves of the main boulder is most impressive feature of this site, though. The boulder shows some cracks on its surface and parts of the top might have been damaged at some point, so there is some danger that the surface may give way in the future and destroy the petroglyphs.
The side panel facing the shelter contains an even finer design.
The boulder displaying concentric circles is in the foreground, with the western rock shelter top left and the boulder in the middle of the picture also showing a petroglyph panel.
The side of this boulder contains another design of a well-made concentric circle and several smaller spiral designs and zig-zag lines.
The shelter itself is tucked under a large slab of stone resting on the second petroglyph panel, visible in the center of the picture to the right.
It shows plentiful evidence of habitation, with soot deposits from fire along the ceiling.
The shelter and accompanying petroglyphs. There are elements in the shade that are much easier to see in the large view obtained by clicking on the photo.
A closer look at the designs.
The petroglyph panel itself consists of a zoomorphic design reminiscent of a gecko or a lizard – the only zoomorph at this site – along with a small concentric circle and a set of two wavy lines.
These petroglyphs do not give the appearance of having been as carefully executed as the rest of the panel.
The arrow-like element on this rock face has not been recorded in earlier archeological records. This, as well as its distinctly Western design, suggests that it is modern vandalism.
Concentric circles with trailing rows of dots.
Close by is another panel that is somewhat hard to discern because the rock face is light colored. A bit of DStretch work shows the design more clearly – another well-made concentric circle, trailing two rows of pecked dots.
DStretch shows the designs in more detai — turns out that DStretch can also be useful for showing petroglyphs!
The second rock shelter, just across from the first. The boulder with spiral designs is in the foreground.
The concentric circle is a design that pops up again and again in the Great Basin Petroglyph style. There is some shamanistic connections to it in certain areas, with shamans said to have been swept up by a whirlwind at the start of their spirit journeys.
The concentric circles are also associated with life and death, and later on with the Ghost Dance, where dancers would dance in concentric circle formations.
The most likely association for these spirals would be the first one, since this site more than likely predates the Ghost Dance movement and the associated later interpretations of the concentric circle design.
Some of the grinding holes atop the eastern shelter.
Most other petroglyph sites in this area are associated with hunting grounds, but these petroglyphs appear to have been made around a habitation site.
Since the concentric circle design dominates at this habitation site, and that design is associated with spirit journeys and shaman activities, I like to image that this site was inhabited by one or more shamans, and the circle designs were pecked as a sign ( or warning! ) of their presence. That, of course, is only my opinion. I blame it on too much desert sun on the head while hunting for these sites.
The two shelters were clearly inhabited, as the soot deposits on their ceilings show, and in addition to obsidian flakes there are also several bedrock mortars and grinding slicks in the area.
The upper grinding slick.
The largest concentration of mortars are found on the top of the second shelter. A total of nine have been bored into the rock surface.
Also nearby, atop the shelters, is a grinding slick that could have been worked while enjoying a good view of the surrounding area as well as any breeze that may have been blowing.
The final part of the site is found around the western side, a little distance away from the two main shelters. Here, another grinding surface is visible, along with a large, light-colored boulder whose side is covered in the largest single design at this site. Some pigment was rubbed into the design at some point.
Unfortunately, the design is weathered and difficult to make out in full sunlight. It can be made more visible by DStretch.
The large petroglyph boulder, showing a weathered design.
Adding some false color with DStretch highlights the design a little more.
A hard to miss mortar, if you are paying any attention.
While leaving the site, I stumbled on a very large mortar ground into the bedrock.
I did not notice it initially, having had my eyes firmly set on the rock shelters and my thoughts on the promise of a discovery in that vicinity.
Except for the single element carved into the shelter’s petroglyph panel, this site appears to be undisturbed. Although petroglyphs are more robust than pictographs, these are at risk because of the brittle surface they are pecked on. If you visit, please respect the site and do not damage the designs.