Here is a little cave that was an unexpected boon. Earlier in the afternoon we had finally hunted down a rather extensive petroglyph site and were walking back towards our vehicle during the golden hour, taking a straight cut across country instead of the circuitous route that helped us find our earlier quarry.

In front of us was a low little ridge to be climbed in order to cross a flat and return to the vehicle. I picked out what looked like an easy route to the top, then noticed this a little to the south of my intended route:

Never one to pass up a promising overhang ( my motto is “Let’s check ALL the rocks!” ) I veered over. As I got a little closer I noticed a red ochre streak on the back wall. Pay dirt!

This site is fairly simple, as pictograph sites go. There are only a few elements in it, spaced somewhat haphazardly.

One of the elements has eroded quite a bit, while the others still appear quite crisp.

On the far right is a rake-type line. This design can be found in pictographs panels all over the larger region – and in fact there are other nearby pictograph sites in this vicinity that include one or more of these elements, too, making it likely that it either had a specific regional meaning, or else a broader meaning that people from all over could tap into. This latter interpretation is worth thinking about, since research has shown that these rake-like elements can be entoptic images produced by halogenic substances such as Native American tobacco.

This particular element fades slightly from left to right. This may be due to it having been drawn from left to right, as would be natural for a right-handed person to do, but since the overhang opening is to the right of the element it may simply mean that it has weathered slightly more at its right end.

The downward lines are unusually long for this type of design and trail off towards the bottom. Care was generally taken in drawing this element, with most of the tines branching off neatly from the main horizontal line. There are a couple of exceptions which protrude slightly above the horizontal line. The element also does not terminate with vertical lines as is often the case with these elements.

On the left-hand side of the overhang are two Rectilinear elements, one against the back wall and another on a nice smooth rectangular section of the lower wall.

These elements are tucked into a somewhat confined area of the overhang. A narrow gap leads past the elements to the outside.

The gap isn’t large enough for a person to fit through, but is apparently large enough that it has contributed to the weathering of the two elements. The lower element is particularly difficult to discern, and I did not spot it until I had been in the shelter for some time, examining and photographing the other elements.

The lower element was designed carefully around the surface it is painted on. It shares some characteristics with the rake-like element on the right side of the overhang. It has an upper horizontal line and downward trailing lines spaced evenly along it.

With a strong DStretch enhancement, some more details become apparent. It appears as if the left- and rightmost lines are straight but at least some of the inner lines immediately following them are sinuous. Possibly, the five lines in the center of the design were again straight.

The design is really so faded that it is extremely hard to make out. It also appears as if the design may also have had a lower vertical line enclosing the vertical lines.

Finally, there are three pigment lines on the ceiling of the overhang, only visible when you turn around to look out from under the overhang, and then look up towards the ceiling.

In the picture above you can see a line paralleling the crack in the ceiling, a bent line to its right, and also a smear of pigment in the upper center of the photo, right next to the remnants of a wasp nest. There is a second old wasp nest in the left center of the picture.

This little site was a pleasant surprise and is interesting in its own right. Its style and appearance is consistent with other pictograph sites in the region. The pigment used appears to be the same, a rather orange pigment. The thickness of the lines are similar across the sites, and some of the Linear and Rectilinear designs repeat.

This site is in good condition, free of vandalism. If you happen to spot it, please be sure to leave it untouched. Some of the designs are weathered and fading, and touching or tracing them will only speed this process.