Back to list

Pictograph

2,172 9

Henk Auwema

Free Account

Pictograph

This pictographin Chaco canyon is said to depict the early morning events of July 4, 1054 A.D., when the crescent Moon and a bright star (thought to be the supernova) lined up along the eastern horizon. The scene was painted onto a stone overhang six meters up on a east facing cliff.
The hand eithers says this site is sacred or is believed to be the artist's palm print. It is also thought that the fingers of the hand point to the eastern horizon along which the supernova flare could be seen before dawn. In the bottom left coner a sun symbol can be seen. This, combined with a clear view on the mesa top to an eastern horizon suitable for calendrical purposes, might well indicate that the site was also a solar-observing station.

Comments 9

Henk Auwema 28/02/2007 8:06
@Barbara,

if you hike the Penasco Blanco trail you will come at almost the end of the trail to a fork, left is going to the Penasco Blanco ruins and the right fork leads you to the pictographs. It's about a 1/2 mile further if I remember correctly. Yep, very impressive park. Deep respect for what those people accomplished there.

Henk
Like comment
Barbara Elerick 27/02/2007 19:25
What an interesting site you are showing us here. Thanks for the detailed information. I have been to Chaco Canyon a couple of times but did not see these interesting pictographs. Very good shot.
Greetings,
Barbara
Like comment
Véronique Soulier 27/02/2007 8:13
very interesting story, adds a lot for inderstanfing the pic. Greetings VS
Like comment
Timeless-Pictures 23/02/2007 23:24
Nice signs. I think it's a interesting history. The colors from the signs are so powerful. The old signs does speak a own language. Great shoot.

Greetings Andre
Like comment
Hardee 22/02/2007 19:44
Ganz feine Aufnahme!
lg hardy
Like comment
Bettina Schneider 22/02/2007 19:34
amazing!
lg bettina
Like comment
Klaus Kettner 22/02/2007 10:52
+
Like comment
Uwe Skotschier 22/02/2007 9:52
Very nice detail-pic.+++
br Uwe
Like comment
Gunda Çilingir 22/02/2007 9:42
very nice Henk... Du hast einen guten Blick.. lg Gundi
Like comment