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| |Wandering Birder | | Native American Rock Art |
| North American Rock
Art While wandering North America, I have visited several sites with ancient rock carvings and paintings made by native Americans. Rock art can be made by using a stone to peck images in the surface of the rock, by carving a line with a sharp stone, by painting, or by a combination of all three methods. The above is a picture of Newspaper Rock State Park outside Moab, Utah. The black surface of the stone is called desert varnish and is a layer on top of the rock. This picture was made by pecking away the desert varnish. |
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Newspaper Rock, Utah A larger picture of newspaper rock. Notice the man hunting with bow and arrow from the back of a horse. Also the wagon wheel helps to date this part of the art to at least some time after the mid 1500's because the plains Native Americans did not have the horse until after it was reintroduced to North America by the Spanish. Hands, feet, animals, spirals, wheels are familiar themes in North American rock art. Count the toes they vary from 4-5. |
Outside Arches National Park near Moab Utah.
It was hot, hot, hot in Moab, Utah in July. I was interested in sights to be seen without much walking.
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This was just a stop along the road. The human figures are wearing shields made out of stretched animal skins. These shields were worthless against guns and bullets so these drawing probably predate the arrival of Europeans. Notice also there are no horses or guns. Compare these two pictures with the one above to see the difference in drawings. The guy on the left has five finger on each hand, but no toes. Both the larger and smaller guy have arms are held in an awkward position. The two guys on the right with spears seem to be carrying shields. |
Capitol Reef National Park Freemont Indian Drawings
| Dinosaur National Monument
I came to Dinosaur National Monument anticipating finally seeing the wall being excavated for dinosaur fossils. I was two weeks too late. The whole thing was closed because it had become dangerous. The Rangers spent the day explaining over and over why it was closed. The only other thing to be seen in the Monument were Rock Art. So I started climbing. Not really that high, but it was hot here too. These figures again show the shields and the same peculiar head dress. The difference in color is due to the rocks and the light at the time the pictures was taken.
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These figures have faces
and the guy on the far right seems to be wearing some kind
of necklace over his shield. He is definitely a guy.
Notice four fingers on his right hand and five on the left
and his out turned feet. This drawing also contains the zig zag sign and some strange geometric figures similar to those seen in European pre-historic art. The animal with the curved horns has four legs with no attempt to show perspective. The animal has hooves. Also curious is the basket like thing behind the animal. |
Petroglyph National Monument Albuquerque, New Mexico Rock Art
This National Monument is easy to reach on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Unfortunately the petroglyphs have been vandalized and some made by the Spanish. Interesting place. Good for Canyon Wren.
.jpg) Animals and people with faces, but no legs. |
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.jpg) This drawing probably represents a McCaw a bird not found in New Mexico but fairly common further south. Shows the Native Americans traded. |
.jpg) The zig zag line again with other geometric symbols. By the way this place had wonderful Canyon Wrens singing and posing on rocks. New Mexico seemed to be the best place for this bird maybe because I was there are the right time.
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.jpg) This one required a climb. Definitely a male figure, no face, no shield and an unadorned head. Same rock has pictures of numerous animals. |
.jpg) OK, I didn't climb all that high, but this is a view of the Albatross from above. |