Red Hands Pictographs - Joshua Tree National Park

Back to Joshua Tree National Park for a few posts (I'm still playing catch-up).

By now, I'm sure you've caught my drift relating to this place. I love it and I've been going there for over 50 years. Unfortunately, I've forgotten more about this place, than I remember. This pictograph site is pretty small and archaeologists who originally surveyed it, considered it part of another close by site (here is a link to my post on it). The park doesn't talk about it, or even admit that it exists. That is too bad, because it is close to one of their most visited and advertised, tourist attractions. I've scoured the internet for information on this site, but there just isn't any. It's only mentioned on two websites that I know of. I know those people and both of them gave it their own name (for different reasons). I'm having trouble thinking of what I"m going to call it.

The site is in this area. If you can figure that out, more power to you.

It's a small panel on the concave side of a boulder.

Same photo as above, enhanced with DStretch. Some of the pictographs are very faded, but it is very clear that most of them are red hand prints. 

Embiggen this photo to better see the hands

A better look.  Although there is zero historical information available about this site, I'm pretty sure it relates to female puberty initiates. I say this because all of the hand prints are fairly small and red is the "female" color.  I'm not saying that all red pictographs relate to females, but these most likely do. There is also another "known" initiate site fairly close by. Here is a link to my post on that site. I wish I knew all the facts.

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Alister's Cave Rock Art - Joshua Tree National Park

First off, Alister's Cave isn't actually a cave, it's an alcove, under an overhang, on the side of a cliff. It's probably one of the more well known "secret" rock art sites in the park. Having said that, the number of people who have either seen it, or heard about it, is minuscule. Most of the people who do know about it, are rock climbers and they pretty much ignore it. I'm happy to report, that there appears to be zero vandalism done to the site over the many decades that I've known about it. The main problem with the site is the degradation of the pictographs due to weathering and the natural decomposition of the granite surface. There are also a few faint petroglyphs on a portion of the floor. 

please embiggen this one

This photo and the next, may or may not be in the same area as Alister's Cave. 

Nothing to do with rock art, but it is in the area and is a beautiful example of a California Barrel Cactus

An alcove under an overhang on the side of a cliff. It's pretty tough sledding through all the boulders and vegetation snarls to get to a climbable spot. This isn't that spot...

As you can see, the pictographs are very faint. That is very unfortunate because there are a ton of them here in many layers. 

An enhanced (via DStretch) version of the photo above. Still not too good.

Another example of how faded most of the pictos are

Enhanced version of the previous photo

As viewed by me

Enhanced 

As viewed

Enhanced by DStretch. I recognize a few of them. There is a Yoni or atlatl in the upper right hand corner. There also appears to be a flying saucer in the middle of the photo. Nah!

A closer photo of the flying saucer looking symbol

Some visible black pictographs 

Enhanced version. At the top center, there appears to be a anthropomorphic symbol. The symbols that look like brooms are likely representing rain. 

This panel is pretty much invisible to the naked eye

Thanks to DStretch, we can at least see what is left of the pictos in that spot

Once again, very hard to see. It does look like there are some very faded reddish, white and black symbols.

This enhanced version of the previous photo, reflects exactly why DStretch is so amazing...  The large white image to the upper left is clearly anthropomorphic (human, or human like). The red symbol in the center might be an atlatl (spear or arrow thrower). The appearance of an atlatl indicates that at least some of these symbols are VERY old, because the atlatl was used to "throw" arrows, darts and spears before the appearance of the "bow" in this part of the country.

In the next two photos, you will be able to see, that there are old pictographs drawn over older pictographs. 

Enhancement #1 is concentrated on the dark pigments

Enhancement #2 is concentrated on the red pigments. Old on top of old, on top of older.

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