High Sierra Topix

Yeah the super blooms are cool; seen a couple. But in some ways this is even more spectacular.


Here is a canyon WAYYYYY away off the beaten path:





Up on the walls are the thousands of years old petroglyphs:
















This is at the very top:







Who made them? What do they mean/represent? Why here?

I don't think these questions will ever be answered....

Very cool! My wife and I love checking out stuff like that. Imagine going back in time and watching that person outline their hand.

Thanks Maverick! Lots of links to explore.

Other HSTrs into anthropology, archaeology: any articles, books to explain these incredible drawings?

rightstar76 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 12:52 pm
Other HSTrs into anthropology, archaeology: any articles, books to explain these incredible drawings?

I'm currently reading The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin and she mentions the Mojave petroglyphs in her book written early in the 20th century. She said even the Shoshone of that era did not know the meaning.

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You should run those through dStretch, an app to bring out the paints they used. If you want I can dl one and do that for you to show you how it works.

AlmostThere wrote: ↑Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:16 am You should run those through dStretch, an app to bring out the paints they used. If you want I can dl one and do that for you to show you how it works.

That would be great! But as far as I could tell, the glyphs were created by hammering or chiseling the rock. I don't think any pigment was used.

There are two distinct categories of rock art. One chips the rock surface, and it is particularly effective where a dark "desert varnish" is on the surface. Chipping exposes a lighter rock. The other category uses pigments applied on top of the rock surface, but it won't last as long.

I think that even when it's a petroglyph the iDStretch software does make details pop a little.