First off, let’s remind ourselves what the whole main panel looks like. Here it is, complete with some extensive soot deposits from fire across the upper center of the panel.

Lets also have a look at that panel showing just the red elements, using a DStretch algorithm. There are also black elements, found between the two sets of red elements, that this DStretch algorithm hides. Here you can see the bursts, abstract elements, and anthropomorph that forms part of the panel.

A look at the remainder of the panel. Note the black pigment in the lower left and the red pigment in the upper right. One element has both red and black pigment.

First, let’s isolate the red pigment and take a good look. There are three burst elements, one with a solid center, one atop a elaborate trail of geometric designs, and the other with a second internal burst element. That’s not a design you see every day! The element in the lower left looks a little like a comet  – a spoked wheel with a tail. I’ve seen an element much like this at the Burham Canyon site, which is also in Kawaiisu territory. Finally, there’s a strange-looking element hovering above all this.

This DStretch enhancement is great at lifting out the black pigment, while preserving some of the red as dark pinks. Now you can see the numerous black elements. They are a bit harder to make out so we’ll look more closely.

First, we have our eponymous element: a black sunburst element in a natural hollow in the rock face.

There it is! Black pigment was usually made from charcoal, along with a binding agent. Rendered fat, blood, urine, plant sap, or even water were all used as binding agents. ( If you need a better reason than “it might damage them!” to not touch pictographs, maybe this list can serve as a start. )

Above our recessed sun is a jumble of black elements. It looks like there’s some more burst elements here, but let’s ask DStretch to take a better look for us.

Oh yeah, there are several burst elements here. There’s also a vaguely zoomorphic element on top of the larger burst element.

Here’s a close look at that black and white element. There’s a little bit of damage done to its lower left, maybe through exfoliation of the rock.

By focusing on the red pigment we can see that damage clearly. But pay attention to the rest of the element! The segments on the outer ring are larger towards the bottom right, and closer together at the top left. To me this suggests that the artist was right-handed, and started it the upper left, a natural starting spot, before running out of patience or concentration towards the lower right. It is worth noting that the inner burst element displays that same pattern – the spokes are closer together at the top left than the bottom right. Also note how the inner element is darker. It was probably drawn first, with more pigment, and the angle of the hand to draw the spokes at lower right was less natural and comfortable, so those spokes were drawn more hastily and hence there are fewer of them. The outer ring is again darker towards the upper left, which would have been drawn first, and then lighter towards the lower right. The outside ring enclosing the element is altogether missing from a few spots at the top. The whole element seems like it was drawn with a finger dipped in pigment, not a brush.

Now, let’s look at the black pigment too. It seems to overlay the red element in places – very interesting.

The burst element with the solid center just above the black and red burst element.

Made clearer with DStretch. It is missing a ray in the upper right and lower left.

Just above this burst is an unclear element. Let’s look.

Not sure what this is! Do you want to suggest it looks like a spaceship?

This is the most intricate element in this panel – a spoked wheel with a “tail” below it.

Very well made, with crisp, even lines. I think this element was painted with a brush, unlike the bursts whose lines are uneven enough that they were probably painted with a fingertip.

Now, let’s look at this whole portion of the panel. You’ll recall that there are red elements to the left of this panel as well, visible on the left edge of this DStretch photo. There are also some red elements above the black elements here, now mostly obscured with soot. The overall effect is of the red elements encircling the black ones.

Finally, there was a second panel on a rock right behind us, patiently waiting for us to notice it. This panel is very faded. Can you make out any elements?

DStretch certainly can! Yet another burst element, and a dot and a few squiggles. That’s a rather nice burst element, too.

A real close look at it. Once you’ve noticed it for the first time you can still mostly see it with the naked eye.

With DStretch we can see that the lower left portion of it is just about too faded for even DStretch to grab onto, but there is still just enough pigment left that we can see the rays continue nice and uniformly all around the burst.