Inscription Canyon: Jewel of Black Mountain Wilderness
This canyon of volcanic rock harbors a treasure of cultural artifacts. Petroglyphs cover the faces of almost every basalt chunk, surviving the test of time even as they tumble to the ground under the force of erosion.
You may want to enlarge your viewer to hunt for more rock art on the broad photos. I hope you enjoy this scrapbook of images.
I was very happy to see only minimal evidence of vandalism here, and thanked the site steward for his presence. We need to cherish the wilderness designation, and continue to preserve these ancient masterpieces. Otherwise, we will lose them, or we will lose our freedom to drop by for a casual viewing.
Nearby Renegade Canyon (aka Big and Little Petroglyph Canyons) contains miles of the most dense petroglyph inscription in the United States, but you need a background check and an escort to get into China Lake Naval Base--and lock your cellphones in the trunk while driving to the trailhead!
Thank you so much for joining me on this tour into the past. Check out the previous parts of my trip to Black Mountain Wilderness:
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/harper-lake-an-oasis-in-the-mojave-desert
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/black-mountain-wilderness-entering-the-canyon
May your beautiful creative work outlast the sands of time.
And as always, all meaningful comments will get my upvote <3
Love,Cat
@creationofcare
all the ancient images of water really make you think...
I completely agree, things were wetter out there hundreds, let alone thousands of years ago!
I believe the oldest dated human artifacts in the Mojave go back 10-15,000 years. I just read they found points dated at 11,500 years old near 29 Palms.
Wikipedia says the Mohave held these sacred lands:
"The Mojave held lands along the river that stretched from Black Canyon, where the tall pillars of First House of Mutavilya loomed above the river, past Avi kwame or Spirit Mountain, the center of spiritual things, to the Quechan Valley, where the lands of other tribes began. As related to contemporary landmarks, their lands began in the north at Hoover Dam and ended about one hundred miles below Parker Dam on the Colorado River, or aha kwahwat in Mojave."
The Colorado River used to be 4 miles wide, and had a flooding cycle and farming culture similar to the Nile. That makes me think these ancient ones might well have made marks that were written language hieroglyphics, since farming requires tallying and reckoning, almanacs, lore. Historians give Native American cultures short shrift.
Some of 500-2,000 year old petroglyphs are verified facial tatto portraits.
Had so much fun reading this! I wonder what the signs mean... it's also really cool that they've safeguarded the place.
Very glad you enjoyed it!
I love looking at petroglyphs, been looking
at them over for years all around the world,
that and geology, archeology, astronomy.
I see much information from a long ago
past, a ancient text message on stones, even
the stones themselves, shapes and forms.
It would be most interesting to be there
come winter solstice sunrise and other points
on the great wheels of time. Navigation by
stars and symbols, where you are in time, all
those ancient glyphs can tell so many stories.
Much water long ago, giant inland lakes.
What a awesome trip and looks like the pup
really loved it too :-)
❤
I knew you would get these runes. This place is sacred land where messages were received and recorded. Messages that resonate thru thousands of years
Final part
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/black-mountain-wilderness-true-grit