Nevada Ancient Rock Art - January 2021

[ski3pin]

A tidbit of information led us away for a few days. Did we find what we were looking for? The story and answer is now posted to our blog and you can find it here -

Nevada Ancient Rock Art - January 2021

Please enjoy.

 

[Vic Harder]

Loved this bit "On this morning I comforted myself with the thought that our flag is now a battered and frayed Tibetan prayer flag - with the hope, like prayers and mantras, the respect and values that use to be associated with it will be blown by the wind to spread good will and compassion into all."

Those pictographs... red and white. Both from the same era, or one overlaying the other?

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Great TR. Couldn’t agree more on the grazing permits. I know we have more important issues to tackle but maybe the DOI can begin a review process.

 

[ski3pin]

Loved this bit "On this morning I comforted myself with the thought that our flag is now a battered and frayed Tibetan prayer flag - with the hope, like prayers and mantras, the respect and values that use to be associated with it will be blown by the wind to spread good will and compassion into all."

Those pictographs... red and white. Both from the same era, or one overlaying the other?

Vic, you are always so kind with your comments, thank you. In regards to the pictograph colors, I believe most were done at the same time. But, your question is an excellent one. With the brightest colors it looks like red went over the white. The interesting photo is the 8th in the series. There is a classic wavy line - a symbol widely seen in petroglyphs - that is faint red horizontal across the top of the image. The white circles are over it. This may well be two different eras and the newer symbols may be over the top of an older pictograph panel.

 

[ski3pin]

Great TR. Couldn’t agree more on the grazing permits. I know we have more important issues to tackle but maybe the DOI can begin a review process.

Thanks MDR! Cows and grazing is a complex issue. My main concern is the impacts to native species, especially in regards to water sources that are critical to survival.

 

[Ronin]

Thanks for another wonderful TR. We all complain about how all the places we loved to visit are ruined by maddening crowds and will never be the same. Your trips give inspiration that there are countless places out there where one can still experience beauty and solitude.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for the tour.
Must have been very cold to have the stream freeze
up like that.

Art work seemed to be a mystery about the battle.

Shame to see the land abused by the cattle.

Thanks for sharing.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks for another wonderful TR. We all complain about how all the places we loved to visit are ruined by maddening crowds and will never be the same. Your trips give inspiration that there are countless places out there where one can still experience beauty and solitude.

Thanks Ronin! Yup, there is so much out there to explore. We've only scratched the surface.

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks for the tour.
Must have been very cold to have the stream freeze
up like that.

Art work seemed to be a mystery about the battle.

Shame to see the land abused by the cattle.

Thanks for sharing.
Frank

You are welcome Frank! That part of the canyon is in shade all day and cold air sinks, so it is a cold spot. Walk around a corner into the shade and it is like walking into a freezer.

 

[Lighthawk]

Those ocher pigments remind me of another pictograph site you recently published. We had the good fortune to visit the same locale and found the same cave. The raven feathers were still strewn about! We enjoyed circumambulating that wonderful quiet valley with no outlet.

My question is about the source of the pigments. I wonder what materials they could use to create these long lasting pigments.
If my house paint would last hundreds of years, I could save a bundle!

Completely agree about cattle in the desert. They don't belong there IMHO
Gold Butte is another example of a trampled desert, with petrified cowplops everywhere.
I imagine the local animals living a hard life already, get squeezed out when water is used up for imported cows.

 

[ski3pin]

Those ocher pigments remind me of another pictograph site you recently published. We had the good fortune to visit the same locale and found the same cave. The raven feathers were still strewn about! We enjoyed circumambulating that wonderful quiet valley with no outlet.

My question is about the source of the pigments. I wonder what materials they could use to create these long lasting pigments.
If my house paint would last hundreds of years, I could save a bundle!

Completely agree about cattle in the desert. They don't belong there IMHO
Gold Butte is another example of a trampled desert, with petrified cowplops everywhere.
I imagine the local animals living a hard life already, get squeezed out when water is used up for imported cows.

Thanks Lighthawk! The place you mention is indeed special. I also am curious about the pigments and sources. Ah, another item to research! An archeological report on one site on our long long list states the source of the pigments used is at the site. We'll get out there........................................

After our first visit to Gold Butte, I shared photos with a friend - a licensed rangeland manager with a long career - and he was livid about the abuses evident in the photos.

Safe and happy travels to you and SR.

In regard to the pictographs, I'm just learning to use DStretch and added two enhanced photos to our blog post on this adventure.

 

[Vic Harder]

My question is about the source of the pigments. I wonder what materials they could use to create these long lasting pigments.
If my house paint would last hundreds of years, I could save a bundle!

There is a spot not far from us where I'm told indigenous folks used to get their red paint pigment, and when the settlers arrived, they did to and sent the pigment far and wide.
Kootenay National Park - Wikipedia

Vic

 

[goinoregon]

last summer/fall we noticed that the fencing around a spring and parts of a meadow were down, and cattle all over the place. i wrote the forest service, and they got back to me in a short time. they actually were going to put up a beefier fence this winter with a bunch of donated materials. hopefully this will work, and the meadow/spring will recover.
i inquired as to why the range permit owners were not fixing the fence, and keeping their animals out of the meadow.... didnt seem like a big ask to me.

 

[Foy]

Various minerals have historically been used as pigments. Most commonly you'd see oxides and sulfides of metallic minerals used. Ocher in particular is often produced from cinnabar, HgS (mercury sulfide)--a highly toxic ore mineral of mercury.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Various minerals have historically been used as pigments. Most commonly you'd see oxides and sulfides of metallic minerals used. Ocher in particular is often produced from cinnabar, HgS (mercury sulfide)--a highly toxic ore mineral of mercury.

Of topic: Cinnabar Springs in Southern Oregon reportedly was where early settlers would go to take “the waters” when they were recipients of certain social diseases. I suspect they might have been a bit crazy, too.