“Ram on Rocks” Pictographs

Recently, I visited a very small native site in the backcountry of Joshua Tree. There is a larger habitation site not far away (which this site is named for). One thing that makes this particular site interesting for the area is the metate and manos sitting out front of the rock shelter. Next to them is a bedrock mortar and maybe even a pestle. A few pieces of pottery are scattered about the area along with some other small debris. Inside of the shelter, there are a few small black, red and white pictographs. A second shelter is close by.

The pictographs here are so faded that I used a combination of D-Stretch and my own processes to create some false color images. In some cases, they worked pretty well.

Serrano Indians probably lived here but it is possible it was the Chemehuevi, or even the Cahuilla. Please do not disturb this site. All artifacts are protected under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 and other federal laws. Take only pictures and leave only footprints.

"Ram on Rocks" Pictographs

25 photos

Small rock shelter with mano and metate out front.

Metate with manos next to a bedrock mortar. A small pottery sherd lies on the right. Looks like the metate was recently used to crush some berries or something.

Manos and metate next to a mortar.

Possibly this is a broken metate. It is worn smooth and flat on this side.

At another small shelter nearby. It has some very faint pictographs along with a more historical fuel can.

Very faint pictographs here.

This false color shows a glyph on the roof pendant and a possible anthropomorphic figure in the back.

This pictograph is quite faint.

Very difficult to pull out the colors but you can see it clearly here.

D-Stretch image of pictographs on the roof pendant.

The faint anthropomorph in the back of the shelter.

I used some false color to bring out what remains. Difficult to say.

D-Stretch image. The anthropomorph isn't much clearer.

There is a bit more charcoal off to the right. Some of this has flaked off, obviously.

The black shows up better in this D-Stretch image. Compare to the previous.

Inside of the rock shelter, there are a couple charcoal patterns with touches of red pigment. One is a grid rectangle at the bottom.

You might be able to pick out some of the details in this false color image.

Although grainy, you can see some of the details in this false color D-Stretch image.

A faint black line runs up the center of this indentation. Some small lines on each side. Most of this has been lost to time.

Some small mortars and cupules inside the rock shelter.

Another small set of red and black pictographs. The black one looks like an anthropomorph.

False color to bring these out. You can see the lower set is a series of dots.

D-Stretch image shows this very well.

"H" or "I" white pictograph symbol at the very top of the ceiling of the shelter is often associated with the Mohave.

In this close up, you can see the texture of the paint itself.

Last Modified on May 4, 2020 by Guy Starbuck