Tag Archives: petroglyphs
Alister’s Cave Pictographs (Joshua Tree National Park)
The Alister’s Cave Pictograph and Petroglyph site is located in the Wonderland of Rocks area of Joshua Tree National Park. Located just a short distance from the popular Barker Dam attraction, as well as popular boulder climbing spots. The cave is signed by the Park Service to prevent climbing at this particular location, but you won’t find the location on maps, and park employees won’t speak of it.
Despite its name, it isn’t really a cave, but rather a rock shelter. The shelter is covered from top to bottom with many hundred faded pictograph designs. Some designs can be made out without enhancement, but it is difficult to see what you are looking at. The paint colors used are red, white, black, and grey.
There are both pictographs and petroglyphs present, but the pictographs far outweigh the petrgolyphs. The petroglyphs are isolated to only one small section of the shelter floor.
Having spent roughly an hour at the shelter on a warm 95° day, it quickly became apparent why the Natives enjoyed this location. Lounging on the shelter floor, protected by the shade the temperature was much more enjoyable than being directly in the sun. It felt as if there was at least a 15° – 20° temperature difference.
In the photo gallery below I have included both non-enhanced images as well as images utilizing the DStretch software. The DStretch software gives the ability to pull out faded paint, allowing for better viewing of the original designs.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Coyote Hole Petroglyphs & Pictograph
Nestled in a sandy wash just a few short miles from downtown Joshua Tree is a treasure that is hidden from the thousands of tourist that traverse the area on any given week. An estimated 50-75 Serrano petroglyphs line the tall stone walls of the canyon, as well at least one nice sized barely visible pictograph.
A majority of the well-preserved petroglyphs are located high above the wash floor on the tall walls surrounding the wash. The petroglyphs that are at a lower level are much more difficult to make out due to both natural deterioration as well as man-made destruction.
The designs located at Coyote Hole are of the Great Basin Abstract Style. They consist of anthropomorphs (Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena) and quadrupeds (A four-footed animal). The area was known to be occupied by the Serrano, as well possibly the Chemehuevi and the Cahuilla.
A single pictograph panel lies within the wash, I happened to find it by chance while visually scouring the canyon walls. The red pigment caught my eye immediately. I have processed the images of the pictograph through Dstretch software, and now the design is much easier to make out.
Pictograph design as visible with no enhancement.
Pictograph design with Dstretch software enhancement.
In the 1960′s the Army Corps of Engineers blasted away a majority of the lower level petroglyphs in order to use the stone for the construction of a drainage canal underneath a local highway.
Recent vandalization has also become a problem. Coyote Hole has become an area for local parties which has posed a threat to both the natural beauty of the wash as well as the ancient art. Spray paint now covers some of the stone walls, as well as bullet holes. Local organizations have begun to do regular patrols and clean ups.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Centennial Canyon Petroglyphs
Centennial Canyon is located in the small Coso Wilderness area that is administered by the BLM. A large portion of the Coso Mountains are off-limits to civilians due to China Lake Naval Weapons Center.
To reach the petroglyphs in Centennial Canyon requires a several mile hike in a wash that is made of sand and boulder obstacles. The scenery consists of Juniper pines, Joshua trees, desert scrub, high volcanic cliffs, and an abundance of wild life. Birds of Prey nest high above on the canyon walls, while lizards dart from boulder to boulder under your feet. A pack of wild horses inhabit the canyon as well, while I didn’t come across the pack, their presence is well observed by their prints, dung, and bones in the sandy wash. I would also suspect that mountain lions are in the area due to the high altitudes and the significant amounts of carnage found on the canyon floor.
The petroglyphs at the spring area consist of nearly all sheep. A number of large boulders in the vicinity are covered from top to bottom in long-horned sheep designs. The signature boat styled sheep of the Coso people are also present. A few additional designs such as hand prints, paw prints, atlatls can be found as well.
The spring location was also the setting of a small ranchers camp. Stone building walls, and a corral stand along the spring, crumbling due to years of neglect.
Near the China Lake Naval Weapons Center board there is a tank which contains a number of additional petroglyphs. The designs in the tank appear to be much older than those found at the spring, due to the varnish on the designs. The tank designs are more abstract than those found at the spring.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Halloran Springs Petroglyphs
The Halloran Springs petroglyph site is a small site with roughly twenty designs spread out over a quarter of a mile. Many of the glyphs are faded and difficult to make out. Around the basalt outcropping there are numerous rock rings and circles.
Likely a product of the Chemehuevi Indians. They inhabited the lower Colorado River north and west toward Death Valley and west to about the Providence Mountains until after the 1867 war with the Mohave Indians. After the war the Chemehuevi moved closer to modern-day Twentynine Palms.
Another theory is that the Halloran Springs site may have been created by the Anasazi. Evidence has been uncovered that put the Anasazi at Halloran Springs between 500 – 1000 AD in an effort to utilize the areas turquoise resources.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Rodman Mountain Wilderness / Surprise Tank Petroglyphs
Surprise Tank
The Rodman Mountain / Surprise Tank Petroglyph site is located within the Rodman Mountain Wilderness, within a short distance of the towns of Barstow and Daggett.
There are two areas that hold the most amount of petroglyphs. The first is a basalt outcropping that is along the main route into the wilderness area. The petroglyphs at this first location have been badly vandalized over the last 40 years. The gallery below is an example of the vandalization that has taken place.
The second location, know as Surprise Tank contains the highest concentration of petroglyphs. In total it is estimated that over 900 designs are located in this 100 yard eroded water course. While there is no running water here, water becomes trapped in natural tanks along the basalt floor after a rain storm. It is thought that this location was used as a stop over along the trade route for the Colorado River tribes and those on the Pacific Coast.
Rock Art specialists have dated the petroglyphs at Surprise Tank to be between 10,000 years old to 1,000 years old, with a majority being within the 1,000 year range. Dating of petroglyphs is done by analyzing the patina, or desert varnish (Desert varnish or rock varnish is an orange-yellow to black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid environments).
This petorglyph, which is located outside of Surprise Tank is likely one of the oldest designs in the area. The design has been highly revarnished, and appears as dark as the stone.
A rock shelter located in Surprise Tank has been dubbed by researchers as a Rattlesnake Shaman Cave because of the zig-zag designs and snake motifs on the panels around the shelter. It is thought that a shaman would enter the shelter during a vision quest, the cave like shelter would have provided a place that the world was opening up, thus entering the supernatural world. The petroglyph designs around the shelter would likely have been created during one of these vision quests.
This cave (rock shelter) is considered by researchers to be a Rattlesnake Shaman Cave.
Rattlesnake design found around the cave.
Additional Rattlesnake & zig-zag designs around the cave.
A majority of the petroglyphs at Surprise Tank and the surrounding area are abstract, or entoptic forms. It is believed that these abstract designs were created Shaman at the beginning stages of entering a trance. There are also a number of long horned sheep, human figures, hand prints, and rattlesnake designs.
Sadly this site has been abused by modern people over the last forty or so years. A large portion of petroglyphs have been damaged, but there is still something special about this place. The magic of the Shaman may still be present today.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Analyzing Rock Art of the Mojave Desert Vol. I: Pictographs
The Mojave Desert was settled long before the white man stepped foot on its soil in the 1800′s in search of riches. The earliest inhabitants left their mark on this vast landscape in the form of pictographs and petroglyphs (painted and carved designs on stones). To some these writings are a form of ancient graffiti, but to the descendants of those that created these pieces of art they hold a spiritual meaning.
Travel from the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine to the ancient lake of Little Lake, to the Kern River Valley, the mountains of Indian Wells and the foothills of the Tehachapis. ANALYZING ROCK ART OF THE MOJAVE DESERT takes a closer look at these art galleries of the past.
Full color, enhanced imaging is presented that allows for an in-depth look at the fading designs before they slip into obscurity.
Terese Petroglyphs / Village (Coso Style Petroglyphs / El Paso Mountains)
The Terese Petroglyph site is located in the El Paso Mountain Range, outside of the town of Ridgecrest. This site has been keep hush-hush by archaeologist since its discovery in the 1990′s. Very little information has been publicly released, and only a few images of the site have surfaced. The bit of information that you can find regarding the location will throw you off by a good 7 miles, and 7 miles in this harsh desert / mountain terrain might as well be 30 miles.
The Terese site is interesting for a number of factors:
1. This is the most southern known location of the “Coso” style petroglyphs.
2. There has been very little vandalization at the site.
3. 86 rock art panels have been documented.
4. Bedrock mortars, and grinding slicks are at every turn.
5. Rock rings cover an area of nearly a quarter of a mile.
6. Pottery shards, obsidian flakes, and lithic scatters have been found and documented from this site.
One of numerous rock circles at Terese.
The vast size of village site is what intrigues me the most. I’ve come across many other village sites in the area, but nothing seemingly as large as the Terese Village. Rock clearings, rock circles, rock art panels, and everything I’ve already mentioned above are found over a 2300 square foot area.
Archaeologist believe based on test samples of obsidian flakes from the village site that the Terese site dates to between AD 1 to AD 1000. As well as the “Coso” style petroglyphs there are elements of styles found within Death Valley and the eastern Mojave desert. This has brought about the idea that the Terese site could have been reoccupied after its initial occupation.
This is the most extensive photo library of the Terese site to be released in a public venue.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
One of the most mysterious petroglyph designs that I’ve ever come across. – Terese site
Slippery Rock Petroglyphs (Lake Isabella, CA / Kern River)
Most rock art in the Kern River Valley is believed to have come from the Tubatulabal and Kawaiisu tribes that have lived in this valley for well over 1,000 years. The petroglyphs represented here are said to be much older than other rock art in thearea. This is based on the atlatl designs present, they likely predate both the Tubatulabal and Kawaiisu. The atlatl was a spear like weapon that was used for hunting before the introduction of the traditional bow and arrow.
More than likely this area was used as a fishing location, and the atlatl designs present here may be a type of “hunting magic”. It is widely believed by archaeologist that petroglyph designs depicting weapons or animals had been created before a great hunt (or in this case a “great fish”) to bring a sort of “good luck”. As with any rock art these modern theories are only that, theories. The true meaning behind any design has been lost over many years. Enjoy this site and any other for what it is, and come up with your own conclusions.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
Close up of the atlatl designs on the boulder pictured above.
This petroglyph is located inside one of the hundreds of natural water-worn scour holes.
If you look closely you can see lines of small dots that had been chipped into this rock.
Lava Flow Petroglyphs – Kelbaker Rd. (Mojave National Preserve)
Petroglyph near Kelbaker Road.
This is a relatively small site with less than twenty petroglyphs scattered out over about a quarter of a mile. Like other petroglyphs in the preserve, these are likely the product of the Mojave Indians.
It is sad to report that there has been a lot of vandalization at this site, most likely due to the ease of access. A number of the glyphs have initials carved around them. There are also multiple panels that seem to have been created in more recent years including what appears to be a space ship glyph.
I spent a few hours around this location exploring the basalt outcroppings for additional rock art, but came out empty-handed except for another fake petroglyph that matches the style of space ship glyph that I mention above.
Due to the sensitive nature of these sites locations are no longer available via the website. If you are interested in visiting this or any other sensitive sites I recommend that you utilize my guide service.
One of three fake petroglyph panels in the area.
Why Jim does what he does…A public response to the critics
Due to the recent media attention surrounding my upcoming Death Valley Expedition in January I have come under scrutiny by a certain individual or individuals that wish to hide in anonymity while publicly ridiculing me. This person has taken it upon themselves to contact members of the press in an effort to silence them about my upcoming expedition, as well my work as an author, guide, and researcher.
The person made the following arguments to the media:
1. He has given the location of petroglyph sites despite being told not to.
2. He shouldn’t be giving guide services because he hasn’t been doing this long enough.
3. He probably won’t get a permit for his expedition.
The reporter that I have been working with was kind enough to bring this to my attention, and give me the opportunity to provide a rebuttle to these claims. I felt that it was in my best interest to further make public my rebuttal via my website.
Claim #1 – He has given the location of petroglyph sites despite being told not to.
Yes I have given out locations of petroglyphs via my website, books, and facebook page. The locations that I have given publicly are locations that have been well publicized by books, maps, and websites long before anyone had ever heard of Death Valley Jim (in some cases long before I was even born). These locations could have easily been found with a quick Google search, or trip to a local library.
For more sensitive locations, I have kept exact locations private – only giving hints and generic directions, leaving the person with a scavenger hunt to find what they are looking for. In some cases I haven’t given any details.
As for being told not to give locations, no person of any authority has ever contacted me asking me to keep locations private. I have to wonder who would have such authority to begin with (with the exception of private land). Does the BLM have the power to stop someone from providing locations to places on our public lands? Does the National Park Service? Not that I am aware of.
Why do I give out such information? I provide people like you and me the opportunity to see things that we more than likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to see. I can still remember the first time I saw my first petroglyph. I was with my wife driving through Black Canyon near Barstow, CA. I had heard from an online resource that petroglyphs are located there, I just had to get out there to see one for myself. Both my wife and I where so excited to finally see a petroglyph in person. Since then, we have both been hooked and spend a majority of our time hunting down rock art sites. What is amazing is that we had already spent years exploring the desert, but had never seen any rock art. For us every rock art site that we find brings this same joy and excitement to us.
I do understand the fact that rock art sites have been vandalized, and I am familiar with the recent destruction that took place in the Bishop area. I was the person that contacted the Bishop BLM Office to request that they set up a donation fund to raise the reward to possibly help catch the vandals. I do believe that most people out visiting rock art sites are doing so because they enjoy them. Most people do not sit around researching their next rock art site to vandalize.
I am a firm believer that historic sites should be open to public visitation. Since I began doing Death Valley Jim’s Desert Adventures I have had a good amount of opposition to this way of thinking. Far too many people for far too long have tried to keep these places quiet. They’ve tried to keep you and me out. They don’t want us there, they only want the place for themselves and their select buddies. This, my friends will only make these places forgotten about as these people die off in the years to come. You would think that the older generation would be excited to have a younger person with a fiery passion come along and want to soak up everything possible to be able to carry it on to the next generation. Sadly this is not the case, and a number of places of historical significance will end up forgotten about and disappeared because the only people who knew about them are no longer here. This is our history, our heritage, our humanity – and it deserves to be preserved and taught to future generations.
Claim #2 – He shouldn’t be giving guide services because he hasn’t been doing this long enough.
So you complain when I give locations, and you complain that I take people places. If I take someone somewhere they are there with someone that isn’t going to allow anything to be vandalized, but if they go alone they can vandalize all they want. Makes a lot of sense, right?
As for how long I’ve been exploring the desert, it’s been about five years now. In five years I have spent more time in the desert than most people have spent in it for twenty years. I know my routes, my history, and safety precautions. I have the ability to show people things that they would have no other way of seeing or finding. The people that have hired me have enjoyed their time with me as much as I have enjoyed showing the things that I love to them.
I don’t believe anyone is too old or too young, or too experienced or too inexperienced, or too this or too that to enjoy the beauty and majesty of nature. Especially the nature that resides right outside of our back door. In fact, perhaps our world would be a very different place than it is today if more people were connected with nature.
Once again this claim just comes full circle to the first claim. These “keepers” of the desert just don’t want you or I there. They want it all for themselves.
Claim #3 – He probably won’t get a permit for his expedition.
The expedition is a solo backcountry hike. I need a backcountry hiking permit, total cost $20.00. I think I can afford that.
I know that not everyone will see things the way that I do, and I’m fine with that. The same way I’m fine with disagreeing with them. However, to go out of your way to try to tarnish my name is unforgivable. I love my desert, and I will continue to share it with anyone that has interest and takes the time to listen.
2013 Guided Tour Option
Books by Death Valley Jim
Click the cover to purchase!
Secret Places in the Mojave Desert Vol. III
Analyzing Rock Art of the Mojave Desert Vol. I: Pictographs
Secret Places in the Mojave Desert Vol. 1
Secret Places in the Mojave Desert Vol. II
Rock Art of the Upper Mojave Desert
Photo Gallery
