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I am fascinated by pictograms and petroglyphs. Are they 10,000 years old graffiti or a sacred symbolic magic code, a treasure map, a stone historian’s guide?
In 1806, during its historic journey through Montana, the Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered several traces of the first inhabitants of this wonderful land. Pictograms and petroglyphs were carved into the rock walls by the tribes that inhabited the area as well as the nomadic tribes that followed the buffalo herds across the Great Plains. From Clark’s Diary “… figures of animals on the face of that rock.” For an archaeologist, there is a clear difference between pictograms and petroglyphs. Pictograms are intricate patterns painted on a hard surface, petroglyphs carved or carved into the surface of a rock.
Cave walls and cliff walls witness the travel, hunting, and brave deeds of prehistoric hunters and their historic American Indians who have sporadically inhabited the caves for nearly 10,000 years. These early Montana residents left behind a rich legacy of artifacts and painted paintings that many believe have a magical meaning; evocative and mystical, they ignite our imaginations and connect us to our past.
Iconic remains of the past can be seen along the Sun River, the Smith River, the Little Bear Mountains, the Lewis and Clark National Forest, and many other historic sites throughout Montana. Kila, Montana, near Kalispell is another site for exceptional representations of warriors, buffalos, and tribal culture. There are two pages on Kila with hundreds of photos. Hell’s Gate Canyon, a narrow passage from the Missoula Valley to the plains, offers an impressive view of the Indian petroglyphs that adorn the canyon walls. In neighboring northern Idaho, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, there are vast storied stones.
Most of the American Indian tribes of Montana created forms of rock art. Anthropologists interpret many drawings as a kind of calendar for marking important dates, documentation of successful hunts, and drawings of battles or acts of courage. The handprint is one of the most common designators identifying the creator, much like our signature signing practice today. These early artists placed their hand on a stone and then used a reed or hollow pen to blow liquid dyes around the hand to define its outline.
These early tribal artists also used delicate brushes made of feathers, twigs, animal hair, and small bones. Many of the images have been etched with sharpened etching tools. The pigments were made from crushed minerals, clays and charcoal mixed with animal fats, plant extracts and blood.
Many paintings were created to seek the grace of the gods, protect the tribe and tell their stories, educate young people. Located approximately 13 miles from Billings State Park, the Pictograph Cave State Park documents life before Native Americans or the White Man ever set foot on what is now Montana.
The drawings at Pictograph State Park are believed to be over 2,000 years old. Over 30,000 artifacts that tell about prehistoric life, hunting and social structure have already been recovered from this amazing site. Images of warriors, wildlife, and tribal rituals tell a complex life story from thousands of years ago. Images are open to interpretation. We’ll never know exactly what happened many years ago, but rock art gives us an insight into the culture of prehistoric man. The two main caves – Pictograf and Ghost Cave were home to generations of prehistoric hunters. The Central Cave does not reflect any signs of residence.
Scientists also exhumed the skeletal remains of at least nine people in the vicinity of the caves. This included one unfortunate man who was crushed by falling boulders. Several human bones found at Pictograph Cave State Park have the same teeth and burn marks as bison bones found in the caves. These burn marks and bites have led anthropologists to speculate that these prehistoric inhabitants practiced cannibalism.
In the early 1900s, many people were aware of the “Indian Caves” as they were along the busy route between Billings and the city of Coburn on the Indian Crow Reservation. The curious often stopped and explored the caves and rested for a while during their journey. A spring of cool, fresh water and pleasant shade have made the caves a popular camping spot for travelers.
Although people who lived around Billings had known the caves for decades, they did not receive any real attention until 1936, when a group of amateur anthropologists discovered deposits of prehistoric artifacts at the bottom of the cave. In 1937, the Montana Highway Commission acquired land to preserve this impressive piece of history for future generations.
Another remote area in southern Montana contains a wealth of storied stone. Weatherman Draw, also known as “The Valley of the Chiefs,” a two-mile episode of history houses numerous multi-colored depictions of humans, shields, and animals that scientists believe are more than 1,000 years old. Mystical depictions are considered the best-preserved examples of rocks in the Highlands. More than 10 Indian tribes consider the area sacred. Threatened by oil drilling in the late 1990s, the site is now preserved through a donation to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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Source by Marlene Affeld