Brownstone Pictographs

This is an incredible pictograph site inside of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I’d been wanting to go up here for a while and one day in 2008 I had the chance to go with fellow explorer Bob Forsyth. What a great day we had!

Brownstone Pictographs

47 photos

First wall of petroglyphs in this large site.

Nice but faded petroglyphs.

This is a nice panel.

Closer view. Those inverted stacked triangles could be rain symbols.

My hiking companion for the day, Bob Forsyth.

Hiking along, we find another panel. Note the anthropomorpth with shield or bag on the right.

Old cattle dam. Not marked on the map.

More inverted triangles.

Some petros are very faint. You have to keep your eyes open.

At least three panels on this cliff face. I need to come back here and get some closer photos.

You really have to hunt around for petroglyphs at this site. They are hiding everywhere.

The main pictograph panel. And what a spectacular panel it is!

Some faint pictographs.

We find a couple of small mortar holes.

This panel turns out to be huge. I start on one end and walk towards the other.

Interesting and unusual pictographs. The "H" is reminiscent of the "I" symbol the Mohaves are suspected to have used.

The long panel continues.

Red, black, yellow and white.

The pictos are drawn on top of each other.

The main panel. At least 4 colors here - red, black, white and yellow.

What could this be?

Ragged lines.

Possibly some blue pigment on that figure to the left.

Some faint pictos.

Red dots, white dots.

Lots of lines. Counting?

Lines.

Interesting X and barbell designs.

Rainwater has stained and washed away this one.

A horned digitate anthropomorph hides under and overhang. Perhaps this is a shaman?

Another digitate anthropomorph.

Note the faint black pictographs. Some look like rain symbols. Also another digitate anthropomorph.

Side pointing triangles, chevons and what might be a thunderbird.

Closer view of the possible thunderbird.

A white figure with blacken head.

As I said, there are many pictographs here.

Faint red and charcoal ones.

A few petroglyphs here as well.

Possilby some vandalism or the rock flaked off but these are lost forever.

Some faint charcoal sketchings. This is the end of the long pictograph panel.

We hike further and Bob shows me a small alcove he discovered with a anthropomorph in it. Do you see it?

Hehe. Ok, here is a closer view. It is in the center.

Bob shows me a large 30' agave roasting pit.

I got up a little higher to look down on the pit.

Nearby, in a small rock shelter, we find some faint charcoal figures.

The rock shelter. There is actually a ledge there.

Faint sun and other petroglyphs I notice on my way out.

Last Updated on August 2, 2020 by Guy Starbuck