Mary’s Cave Pictographs

Mary’s Cave, also known as Shelter Rock, is a nice little rock shelter carved out of a volcanic rock formation in the Mojave National Preserve. There is a small tinaja (a depression in the bedrock made by water) next to the shelter in the canyon which would of held water for an extended period of time after a rain. That and the shelter itself would have allowed the Indians to live in this arid place for a little while longer. This is mostly Chemehuevi and Mohave territory, but it is likely that the Desert Archaic culture used this area before them.

Researchers also note that it is possible this is a solar observation site. The summer solstice and spring and autumn equinoxes line up well with notches on the distant eastern horizon at sunrise. Sunlight entering this cave would have marked the starting of spring and a renewal of the land.

Mary's Cave Pictographs

55 photos

Shelter Rock. Note a man made concrete dam on the right used to collect water for cattle.

Inside of the shelter. Most of the pictographs are on the ceiling.

In the shelter. You can see holes in the ceiling (and the floor) I'm not sure if the holes on the ceiling have been hollowed out by man.

Far left side of the shelter.

Behind the dam. A natural tinaja was enlarged by cowboys.

Pictographs on the roof.

False color.

Pictographs.

False color.

Red, white and black.

Hard to make anything out of this false color.

Red hatch lines.

False color.

Pictographs on the roof. Note the possible vulva symbol on the upper right. Basket or water in the middle?

Easier to see the symbols in this false color image.

Pictographs.

False color.

Red lines.

False color.

Vulva (fertility) symbol in the center?

False color.

Comet in the left middle?

False color. Comet in the center.

Some faint historic graffiti scratched over the pictographs possibly made by cowboys.

Pictographs.

Hard to make these out. False color.

Vulva and sun symbols? This hypothesis goes along with the idea of sunlight entering this cave and the beginning of spring.

False color of the vulva and sun.

Red pictograph.

False color.

These are hard to make out.

False color.

Faint white and red pictographs with a comet-like sun in the center.

False color of the comet.

Wider view.

False color.

I can't tell what these symbols are.

False color.

Rain rake and ?

False color.

Sun?

False color of the sun.

Rain and sun? Fertility?

False color.

Cupeles on the floor.

Cupeles and petroglyphs on the floor of the shelter.

The shelter.

False color of the shelter.

Hard to see.

False color.

Interesting pictograph in the center left.

False color.

Closer view of this pictograph.

False color.

Alysia looks at some flakes in the shelter as we enjoy this peaceful spot.