Archeology 101, part 2

After the three of us visited the authentic sod house, yesterday, we headed up Steens Mountain.  That’s where I took the picture of Jan and Karl.  I’m not going to post any pics from that part of the trip, because I hope to pack up Emma and do it again myself on Sunday.

When we got back down off the mountain, we headed for the Krumbo Reservoir for a pit stop.  There is a great picnic area there right along the edge of the water. 
On the way back from the reservoir, we stopped at a huge boulder that contained several petroglyphs.  They’re not as impressive as those that can be found at Dinosaur Nat’l Monument and other sites around the West, but they were interesting none the less.  Petroglyphs were chipped into the rocks by the ancient people.
Next, we hiked a trail that Jan and Karl helped establish a few years back.  This trail could not be established until they had surveyed the area for archeological artifacts.  They walk a grid pattern of an area such as this to determine if any artifacts are present.  If there are very few or no artifacts present, than a trail can be established.  As we walked along, Jan pointed out to me several obsidian chips lying on the ground.  These chips were the result of the ancient people’s making stone tools such as spear points and arrowheads. 
Suddenly, Jan stopped dead in her tracks and said she saw an artifact!  Sure enough, it was an arrowhead.  The actual point had been broken off (on the left end), but you can see how this arrowhead would fit in the notch of the arrow.  It is made of obsidian, and you can see where the flakes were chipped off.  I was pumped to actually see a stone tool this old!  This type of arrowhead is 1500-4000 years old.  After this picture, Jan stepped off of the trail to carefully place this artifact in an obscure location where it is unlikely to be disturbed.  There is a mighty big fine for taking these artifacts off of the refuge.  It was a great thrill for me to be able to hold this arrowhead and appreciate the craftsmanship from so long ago.
This particular trail culminates on a ridge top overlooking a valley.
The view was outstanding, and earlier in the year there would have been much more water.
The rocks at the ridge top are covered with multicolored lichens.  However, those white chalk like splashes in the bottom center of the picture are not lichens at all.  I’m thinking that you would never guess that the white chalky looking stuff is pack rat urine!  How’s that for an interesting little tidbit??  :)

Later, we drove to a location just off of the refuge to look at pictographs.
Along Double O Ranch Road, we approached some of the 5 or 7 sided volcanic columns of ridge rock. 
We were able to walk up to these columns to see the pictographs that were painted, rather than etched, on the column faces.  This wetland area of the high desert was an important place for people that came here so many thousands of years ago.  What a great archeological learning experience it was for me yesterday, and I truly thank Jan and Karl for taking the time to give me such an experience.  Cool beans!  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

The Sunday Blast from the Past

Today's Blast will include more pics from Dinosaur National Monument. A few miles down the road from the Green River Campground, but still inside the monument, is the original homestead of Josie Bassett Morris.

Josie was an intrepid pioneering woman who spent fifty years living on her small ranch alone. She came here from Brown's Park after having been married three times.

This is her cabin which is surrounded by two box canyons. She planted a variety of trees around the cabin which are now very large and mature. She battled over water rights with a neighboring rancher. This is where I led my bird tours. The hikes into the box canyons are wonderful.

On the drive to Josie's Cabin, several petroglyphs can be seen. Small examples of petroglyphs can be found throughout the monument.

About A.D. 200 to 450, the native people here began to grow crops such as beans, corn and squash. So began the Fremont Culture. While these people inhabited the area, they produced many petroglyphs. Along the road to Island Park large panels of petroglyphs can be found on the rock outcroppings.

Some people suggest that these large decorated anthropomorphs (human-like figures) depicts the taking of trophy heads or scalps, but no one knows.

There is a trail to climb up to get a close view. Remember to bring a jug of water, as summer temps hover near 115*.

.

The one thing I didn't do while at Dinosaur, was to take a white water float trip down the Green River through the monument. Many, many folks do this each summer, and usually each year there is a fatality, and the summer of 2008 was no exception. A twelve year old boy that we talked to at the visitor's center drowned when he fell out of his raft. The trips are run by private companies outside of the monument. I did such a trip with my family back in 1988, and we had a spectacular time.

This young buck was a frequent visitor to the campground. The riparian habitat surrounding the campground meant that wildlife was quite abundant there in an otherwise high desert environment.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy