THE ROCK SHELTER AT LAS CUEVAS, LOCATED JUST OFF THE MAIN ROAD TO THE SAUCEDA HEADQUARTERS. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN TWO THE TWO SIGNATURE ELEMENTS AT THE SITE.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Rock Art Gallery

In early January, 2015 I visited Big Bend Ranch State Park, located to the west of the National Park.  During my time at the park I visited three areas of rock art.  Below are some of the pictures I took during my visit to the Park.

 

The Las Cuevas Site…

The Las Cuevas Site is located just off the main park road that leads to the Sauceda Headquarters.  There is a rock shelter with pictographs and lots of cupules and bedrock grinding features. 

PARK SIGNAGE AT THE LAS CUEVAS SITE.
THESE TWO FIGURES ARE ABOUT THE ONLY ELEMENTS AT LAS CUEVAS THAT ARE WELL PRESERVED.
PARTIAL HANDPRINT AT LAS CUEVAS.
D-STRETCH WOULD PROBABLY HELP FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS PANEL CONTAINS.
DEGRADATION DUE TO NATURAL FORCES HAVE REALLY AFFECTED PARTS OF THE SITE.
ANOTHER ONE THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM VIEWING IN D-STRETCH.
IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, I FOUND THIS SMALL PANEL WHILE EXPLORING ACROSS THE ROAD FROM LAS CUEVAS.

The Cinco Tinajas/Leyva Escondido Spring Pictographs…

This pictograph site is located about a mile north the main park road.  You reach the site by taking the Cinco Tinajas Trail, which intersects the Escondido Spring Loop Trail.  The pictographs are located on large boulders at the bottom of a hill a short distance past the intersection of the two trails.  Some of the pictographs at this site are very clear and well preserved.  Here are some of the photos I took at this site. 

THIS PANEL IS VERY FADED AND DEGRADED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE ELEMENTS CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED.
THIS BOULDER CONTAINED THE NICEST PANEL AT THE SITE.
A LITTLE CLOSER LOOK.
A VERY INTRIGUING FIGURE!
A LOT GOING ON HERE!
SEVERAL OF THE FIGURES APPEAR TO BE IN THE CLASSIC CHILDBIRTH POSTURE...A FERTILITY PANEL?
DETAIL OF A VERY NICE FIGURE.
REMAINS OF A HANDPRINT?
COULD THAT ELEMENT IN THE CENTER OF THIS PHOTO BE AN ATLATL?
THIS SMALL PANEL MAKES AGAIN MAKES ME THINK OF CHILDBIRTH/FERTILITY.

Ranger Led Hike to a Shelter With Pictographs…

On June 10, 2015 I joined a very small group (a couple from Colorado and a geologist from North Carolina) for a hike led by park archaeologist Tim Gibbs.  This highlight of this hike was a rock shelter that had several small pictograph panels.  Below are my photos from that hike. 

THE SHELTER THAT CONTAINS THE PICTOGRAPHS. MOST OF THEM ARE IN THE LONG NARROW SHELF TO THE RIGHT.
THIS UNUSUAL FIGURE IS IN THE FIRST SMALL ROUND ALCOVE.
THIS LINEAR PANEL IS BETWEEN THE FIRST ROUND, SMALL ALCOVE AND THE MAIN SHELF.
A CLOSER VIEW...STILL DIFFICULT TO MAKE OUT WHAT THESE ELEMENTS MIGHT REPRESENT.
THIS LONG, NARROW SHELF IS JUST BELOW THE LARGEST PANELS AT THIS SITE.
THE PICTOGRAPHS AT THIS SITE ARE DONE PRIMARILY IN BLACK, WHITE, AND RED.
THERE ARE SEVERAL FIGURES THAT APPEAR TO REPRESENT HORSES WITH RIDERS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LARGE RED FIGURES THAT MIGHT BE MASKS.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE SITE. A DOUBLE MASK? AND HOW ABOUT THAT BLACK AND WHITE ELEMENT TO THE RIGHT...
COMPLEX AND INTRIGUING.
A CLOSER SHOT OF THESE INTERESTING ELEMENTS.
MORE BLACK AND WHITE...
IT APPEARS THAT THIS AREA MIGHT ALSO CONTAIN SOME YELLOW AND RED PIGMENTS.
VERY UNUSUAL FIGURE IN THE UPPER RIGHT OF THIS PHOTO.
ONE LAST SHOT FROM THIS SITE.
TIM GIBBS (PARK RANGER) ALSO SHOWED US THIS PANEL THAT HAD BEEN RECENTLY FOUND AND REPORTED BY A HIKER.