Coso Petroglyphs
all photos from Little Petroglyhph Canyon where we take you!
7 GIF pictures - have patience while they load :-)
Shaman - our logo- see shopping page
They're way up on a wall,
this is telephoto.
(Actually Shamen, but "several
shaman" is correct...)
Real typical panel on rocks in the arroyo. We have dozens of these!
Shaman, sheep, and whatever,
but this shows how you can tell older ones underneath
newer ones. They are dated using cation
ratios and thin sections with C14 dating
of the thin microbial layers just on top
of the glyphs. Some of ours date to 16,000 years BP;<
most are probably 4000 years or newer.
There used to be mountain
lions in these hills, eating sheep..
We think this is a big kitty - it has the
right tail.
This one always looks like a Sheep on Roller skates!
Yet another rock panel in
the arroyo. Most of our glyphs are this bright!
If you have a polarizing filter, it will
help a whole lot!! As will telephoto lenses.
Sheep, a medicine bag? What
is the circle?
We don't know what these mean - only the
artist does - but they're fun to play with.
Bow and arrow are fairly
new - after 1400 AD.
Bigfoot on the right has 6 toes. Why the "horn hat?"
So much we don't know!!
The National Park Service
has developed a page about petroglyphs, featuring
our Coso Pets mostly - be sure to check all the boxes and the
little flashing X box-
there's a whole lot of info tucked away in this page!!
http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/rockArt/index.htm
This is typical of Lower
Renegade (aka Little Petroglyph) Canyon
The walls are 20 to 30 feet high most of
the length of the canyon.
The bottom is sandy in spots, but there
are plenty of rocky places where
you have to work your way up, down, over;
there are even "waterfall" slides.
Be sure to wear sturdy shoes (like hiking boots),
and bring a walking stick.
Bring TONS of film, or chips
and batteries - almost every rock has stuff on it, and they change
with the changing light during the day as you walk up and down
the canyon.
Digital photos by Janet Westbrook
11/05
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