These pictographs survive serendipitously on a now protected sliver of land in Tübatulabal territory, tucked onto the toes of a hill not all that far out of reach of the high water line of the reservoir that occupies the valley they are found in – and not too far away either from a roadway that plowed straight through at least one occupation site in the nearby vicinity. They could easily have fallen prey to encroaching build-up as well.
An overview of the pictograph panel. The boulder is fairly modest in size.
It is a good thing too that this site survived unscathed, given how striking and intriguing it is. Unlike most of the other Tübatulabal pictograph sites in the area, there are no Representational elements. Yet there are tally lines, which are typical of sites further east in Tübatulabal territory.
The designs are still quite visible, but DStretch can certainly make them crystal clear.
If a modern observer looks at the site expecting to find meaning in the designs, the natural conclusion is that the groups of lines were used for tallying.
Since there are no apparent Representational elements such as anthropomorphs or zoomorphs (common to other Tübatulabal sites) the natural conclusion is that the site was functional in some way.
Some researchers who studied the panel have guessed that it had a calendar or timekeeping purpose. There is certainly enough correlation between the number of lines used in some of the elements at the site and the numbers found in solar and lunar calendars to make the timekeeping theory plausible.
The view standing in front of the boulder the pictographs are painted on.
The most striking element is the large, well-formed circle in the center of the panel.
It is about 18 inches in diameter, and its lines are all of uniform width. This plus the careful placement of the inner lines indicates that it was drawn with care and deliberation. There is a streak of clear material deposited down the middle of the circle, probably by rain water from above. It almost looks like silica, and it appears here and there on other boulders in the vicinity as well.
A closer look at the circle with details highlighted by DStretch.
There are thirteen lines spaced evenly within the circle. It looks as if the uppermost line, which connects to an element outside the circle, may have been drawn as a freestanding line initially, and the other element connected to it later.
The thirteen lines may not be immediately significant to someone accustomed to the modern 12-month solar calendar, but the lunar calendar puts parts of 13 lunar months into a solar year. There are 12 lunar months with 29.5 days each, and then a partial lunar month of 11.25 more days needed to synchronize with the 365.25 days of the solar year.
A lunar month counts one cycle of the moon: say from full moon through new moon and to full moon again is one lunar month. The solar year counts between solar events such as solstices: from one solstice ( say the winter solstice ) to the next equinox ( spring ) , through the opposing solstice ( summer ) , then the next equinox ( fall ), and back again to the original solstice makes one year.
These numbers are reflected in several areas of the pictograph panel. The most obvious is the thirteen lines in the circle, but there is also a counting type symbol of six lines ( or 12 if you count the lines on each side of the vertical line ) found just above and towards the left of the circle. ( The similar-looking symbol above and to the right of the circle has only 10 lines. Keep in mind that 10 is not an obvious feature of either the solar or the lunar calendar. )
In addition there is a tally line curving off from the bottom of the circle ( visible in the picture above ) which has 13 somewhat haphazardly drawn tally marks attached.
A DStretch close-up of the elements immediately above the central circle element. Toward the top there are two sun or starburst type elements, one a little bigger than the other. There is a third starburst symbol to the left that has been crudely enclosed in an irregular circle. Between the big circle and the starbursts are two tally markers, one with 12 tally ticks and the other with 10.
The two sun or starburst elements are noteworthy since this theme repeats at other Tübatulabal sites. The “Wayside Wonder” site is once such place.
This DStretch photo shows the tally-marked lines at the very top of the panel. There is a well-preserved rake-like element with six tines pointing down in the top left-center, and a very weathered, smaller rake with six or maybe seven tines pointing up ( or maybe down? ) to the left of it. These tines could also add up to 12 or 13, echoing the numbers seen elsewhere.
The lunar calendar can be counted from any phase of the moon – maybe the full moon, maybe the new moon, or perhaps the crescent moon, as the Tübatulabal were said to do.
The solar calendar on the other hand is counted by observing solstices and/or equinoxes. There is evidence that many of the Native American tribes in California were aware of and observed solstices. However, there is no specific ethnographic record of the Tübatulabal observing solstices.
A curved double line attached to the bottom of the circular figure also has 13 tally lines coming off of it, plus an additional two pointing upwards at the very end of the upper line. The other two symbols in this image defy modern interpretation.
A single mortar atop a small boulder near the site.
This can be taken at face value, or explained away by suggesting that the Tübatulabal ceased observing solstices some time between the creation of pictograph sites that have this apparent function ( such as the “Shooting Star” pictograph site ) and the historic period when the ethnographic records were made. These sites may well have been valid observatories whose exact significance was lost before the ethnographic record was made.
Either way, the modern observer should be cautious about assigning meaning to pictographs just because we can analyze them with modern knowledge and make them mean something. It is always worthwhile to keep in mind that there are almost no pictograph sites whose exact meaning is known with certainty.
The clock rock site viewed from further away. Of the group of three two of the boulders are visible here. ( The third is behind. ) The tiny rock in the right background is the one shown above that hosts the single mortar.
These pictographs are painted on the southeasterly face of a granite boulder that is part of a tight group of three boulders. The pictographs are on the rust-colored face of the right boulder.
It is interesting that this site, as well as a nearby site, are painted on one boulder in a group of three.
According to the ethnographic record of the Tübatulabal, their ritual number is three, so that might indicate that the purpose of these sites were somehow tied into rituals.
Behind the group of three boulders is the beginning of a hillside. Below the boulders lies the high water line for the nearby reservoir. Before the dam was built this area would have been a pleasant place with the river running nearby and the slight elevation providing access to any breeze that might be blowing. Indeed there is a large habitation site nearby, as well another nearby site with about a dozen bedrock mortars. Unfortunately parts of the large habitation site were destroyed when a road was built right through it, though some pictographs and many bedrock mortars still remain.
The top of the westernmost boulder in the group of three is covered in mortars of various depths.
The westernmost of the three boulders ( behind the other two in the picture above ) has several bedrock mortars. It would have made a pleasant place to sit and work.
This site is one of several habitation sites dotted along the river in the area. There would have been an extensive Tübatulabal presence in this valley at one time.
This site suffers no vandalism or damage though it does attract some attention. I found several footprints around the site when I revisited it recently in order to take more photographs. I found that the bedrock mortars here and at some other sites in the area were excavated, which they were not when I first visited. So this site is not completely unknown.
The visitors to date have been respectful. The site remains in pristine condition.
If you happen to visit, make sure to be respectful too, and do not damage the pictographs in any way. Keep in mind that even a touch can damage them by lifting pigment or leaving behind skin oils. Take pictures only.