PETROGLYPHS & INDIAN CAMPS IN THE SOUTHWEST « THE MAVERICK SERIES by Elaine Seavey

PETROGLYPHS & INDIAN CAMPS IN THE SOUTHWEST

March 2, 2008

March 1, 2008

Since my last post told about Apache Indian camps in the Dragoon Mountains near Benson, AZ, I thought it might be an appropriate time to share with you some other ancient Indian sites and rock art we have discovered during our ramblings in the southwest. These sites are described in greater detail in my third book, SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES.

PICTURE ROCK:
The firsrt petroglyphs we came across are located south of Quartzsite,AZ along Tyson Wash, which runs north and south through this area. “We had b een walking across the desert, when we arrived at a large dry wash and knew it must be Tyson Wash. Following the wash for a ways, we came to a large outcropping of rocks on the east side of the wash. It was filled with petroglyphs, and we knew this must be Picture Rock.
Directly across the wash there is a rocky hill. On top of the hill we discovered deep mortars, (grinding holes). There were a lot of mesquite trees in the area, so undoubtedly early Indians came here to camp while they gathered mesquite beans and ground them into flour. From the depth of the mortars, the area evidently had been used for a long time. Many natural depressions (or tanks) in the nearby rocks would hold water for drinking purposes, making it an ideal camping spot.”

DRIPPING SPRING:
We learned about this site, east of Quartzsite,from some friends, who took us here for the first time. We drove across the desert toward the mountains. The road was narrow and rocky. Finally, we had to park the truck and walk the rest of the way in.
“This hike took us through a wash with high walls, forming a canyon. It was very pretty! After about a mile a trail led up out of the canyon to a large open area at the base of the mountains. Huge brown boulders were scattered all over this valley, and almost every rock was covered with petroglyphs! (rock etchings) From the large number of petroglyphs, this must have been an active Indian Camp for quite a long time. Then, we followed a path leading toward the base of the mountains. Here, under an overhanging ledge of rock, was Dripping Spring. There was a pool of water beneath the ledge into which water was dripping from the rocks above.” Several large trees shaded the spot, and we sat on some large rocks to rest and cool off before our trek back to the truck.

SEARS POINT PETROGLYPHS:
We learned about this site from an Archaeologist at the Bureau of Land Management office in Yuma, AZ. “We drove east out of Yuma on I-8 for about 70 miles, then turned north on the Spot Road exit.”A gravel road turned north, and we followed it for another seven miles, and arrived at the remnants of an old log cabin. “A rutted track turned west from the cabin and came out by some large dark rock outcroppings. This was the petroglyph site…”We visited with a man who was camping here, and learned that he had been teaching a group of students studying and cataloging the petobglyphs, and that he was writing a book about these and other petroglyph sites.”..Wandering over to the rocks..”The large flat lower areas all contained some petroglyphs, but the higher rock surfaces were literally covered with wonderful etchings.” It had been a wonderful discovery!

PAINTED ROCK STATE PARK:
From SOUTHWEST ADVENTURES: Just west of Gila Bend, a well marked road turns north. “After 12 miles you will arrive at the park. The first primitive camping area is only a few miles off the highway and is called the Petroglyph Unit. The focal point is a large mound of rocks, the surfaces of which are covered with ancient petroglyphs!” .. This site reminded me of Sears Point, which is about 40 miles west of here, both sites being located in the Gila River Valley. Walking over to the petroglyph site, “Virtually every stone was covered with etchings. These petroglyphs were similar to others we had seen in the southwest. Man is portrayed in crude form. There were also snakes and lizards, animal forms, jagged and spiral and designs, to mention a few. On the ground near this hill of rocks were large flatter rocks with mortars on them.”