I DECIDED TO NAME THIS SITE AFTER THE MAIN PANEL LOCATED THERE, WHICH I CALL "THE WHITE CHAIN". THERE IS ANOTHER AREA OF ART NEARBY THE MAIN PANEL THAT IS NOT SHOWN IN THIS PHOTO, WHICH I AM CALLING "THE WHITE CIRCLE ALCOVE". WHAT AN AMAZING SITE!

The White Chain Site Gallery

Site No. is Unknown At This Time But It Could Be CDC – 124


I visited a pictograph site in Canyon de Chelly that I am calling the White Chain Site on Sunday, March 8, 2026 during my 2026 Spring Rock Art Trip.  Trying to determine the proper site name and site number for this beautiful rock art location in Canyon de Chelly has been quite frustrating.  After I got home and began going through my photos and processing some of them, I was really excited about this site.  First, it is a huge site with several different areas that have some beautiful rock art.  Second, many of the elements are quite distinctive, and I felt sure I would be able to match some of these very unusual elements using the illustrations and photos in Campbell Grant’s book.  And third, there are some well preserved structures associated with this site, which also bolstered my confidence that I could get the site identified.  In the meantime, I decided to call the main panel at the site “The White Chain” after the white element that resembles a chain attached to a unique yellow figure.  In addition to the main panel there are several other nearby panels that complete the overall site.  My friend Richard was also having trouble identifying this site, and chose to call it “Zig-Zag Man”, based on a panel that features a large white anthropomorph with wavy lines or zig-zags decorating its body, located in an area to the left of the main panel.  Another panel is located in an area at the site that I am calling the “White Circle Alcove”, which features a large white circle element and a number of distinctive and highly decorated human figures.  It was on the evening of Sunday, June 7, 2026, while looking at my photos that I finally was able to match two of the elments at the White Circle Alcove with drawings from Campbell Grant’s book, specifically Fig. 4.13 on page 165.  Fig. 4.13 identifies two distinctive anthropomorphs (both with handprints on their bodies) as being from Site CDC -124.  I had solved the puzzle!  But, as I soon discovered, my celebration was premature.  It seems that the only mention of Site CDC – 124 is in the notes Grant included in Fig. 4.13.  There is no other information in his book as to this site name or location.  I asked my wife Dorothy, who faithfully serves as my editor and sounding board, to try to locate ANY reference to Site CDC  – 124 in Grant’s book aside from the mention of it in Fig. 4.13.  She is very thorough and detail oriented, but she could find no other mention of this site in the book.  I also asked Richard to investigate “Site CDC – 124” and, as of this writing, he too has not had any luck solving this riddle. So, as of now, “The White Chain Site” will have to do.  I plan to contact Campbell Grant and inquire about this unusual state of affairs — stay tuned and I will keep you updated if I find any new information about this site.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my photos and thoughts of and on this beautiful and unique site!

THIS IS THE PANEL AT WHITE CHAIN THAT I WAS ABLE TO MATCH UP TO A DRAWING IN CAMPBELL GRANT'S BOOK. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND OUT ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THE PROPER NAME AND HISTORY OF THIS SITE.

Some Photos of The Main Panel At The White Chain Site…

THE MAIN PANEL AT THE WHITE CHAIN SITE SITS TO THE LEFT OF A LARGE RUIN STRUCTURE IN A TIDY ALCOVE HIGH ABOVE THE CANYON FLOOR.
THE AMAZING YELLOW FIGURE IS OUTLINED IN WHITE AND ATTACHED TO OVER THIRTY WHITE CIRCLE ELEMENTS THAT, FROM A DISTANCE, ALMOST LOOK LIKE A CHAIN. IS THE YELLOW FIGURE AN ANTHROPOMORPH? A QUADRAPED? WE SAW NOTHING REMOTELY RESEMBLING THIS ELEMENT ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CANYON. TRULY AMAZING!
THE PANEL IS WELL PROTECTED IN THE ALCOVE AND IS REMARKABLY WELL PRESERVED IN VIVID COLORS.
DETAILS OF THE CHAINED FIGURE AND THE MANY UNIQUE ELEMENTS SURROUNDING IT.
THE AREA BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHAINED FIGURE IS QUITE INTERESTING AS WELL.
NO HANDS, NO FEET, WELL ENDOWED, AND AN UNUSUAL SHAPED HEAD MAKE THIS AN INTRIGUING FIGURE, NOT TO MENTION THE DECORATED TORSO AND THE SURROUNDING COLORS.
TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN PANEL YOU FIND A LARGE NUMBER OF HANDPRINTS DONE IN VARIOUS COLORS.

Some Photos of The Large White Man Panel (Zig-Zag Man) to the Left of The Main Panel At The White Chain Site…

TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN PANEL AT WHITE CHAIN IS ANOTHER PANEL FEATURING A LARGE WHITE ANTHROPOMORPH WITH WAVY LINES DECORATING ITS BODY.
THIS PHOTO SHOWS THAT COMPARED TO THE FIGURES AT THE MAIN PANEL THE WHITE MAN TO THE LEFT IS MUCH LARGER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER HUMAN FIGURES.
THE HEAD OF THE LARGE WHITE FIGURE IS QUITE FADED AS IS THE FIGURE DIRECTLY TO HIS LEFT. THERE IS ALSO THE REMAINS OF A LARGE YELLOW FIGURE TO HIS RIGHT.
LOOK BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN FIGURE...IS THAT A SMALL WHITE HUMAN SHOOTING A BOW?
THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF THE HANDPRINTS SURROUNDING THE LARGE WHITE MAN FIGURE IS AMAZING.
ONE FINAL PHOTO OF THIS PANEL THAT MY FRIEND RICHARD CALLS THE ZIG-ZAG MAN.
IN AN AREA TO THE LEFT OF THE ZIG-ZAG MAN YOU FIND SOME SMALL INTERESTING ELEMENTS: A HUMAN FIGURE WITH A RED TRIANGULAR BODY, WHITE ARMS AND HEAD; FOUR HUMAN FIGURES WITH WHITE ARMS AND FEET; AND AT LEAST TWO FLUTE PLAYERS.

Some Photos of The Area Around The Three Structures Below and To the Right of The Main Panel At The White Chain Site…

SOME BUFF COLORED FIGURES ALONG WITH SOMESMALLER WHITE FIGURES/ELEMENTS NEAR THE THREE RUINS BELOW THE WHITE CHAIN PANEL.
THIS PHOTO OF THE THREE RUINS SHOWS SOME ADDITIONAL FIGURES TO THE RIGHT OF THE STRUCTURES.
ANOTHER BUFF COLORED FIGURE NEAR THE THREE RUIN STRUCTURES.

Some Photos of The White Circle Alcove Near The Main Panel At The White Chain Site…

MY FRIEND RICHARD PROVIDED THIS PHOTO OF THE WHITE CIRCLE ALCOVE WHICH PROVIDES SOME CONTEXT AS TO ITS LOCATION IN THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE WHITE CHAIN SITE.
THE WHITE CIRCLE ALCOVE AT THE WHITE CHAIN SITE.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE OF THE WHITE CIRCLE ALCOVE.
MY GOODNESS THERE IS A LOT GOING ON HERE!
IT WAS WHILE CAREFULLY EXAMINING THIS PHOTO THAT I WAS ABLE TO MATCH TWO OF THE FIGURES TO ONE OF THE DRAWINGS IN CAMPBELL GRANT'S BOOK, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE.
TWO FIGURES OUTLINED IN RED -- VERY UNIQUE!
A PURPLE MAN, ALL BY HIMSELF.
WOW!
ONE FINAL LOOK AT THE WHITE CIRCLE ALCOVE.!

Final Thoughts On This Site…

In a perfect world, I would love to spend days upon days at this site, and attempt to provide a more cohesive photographic record of this beautiful and thought provoking area of Canyon de Chelly.  What treasures might the soft morning light reveal?  What insights might emerge while sleuthing around ledges and talus slopes?  What might close encounters with these rocks and these images speak to my heart?  My guess is that I shall never have the opportunity to return to Canyon de Chelly in this lifetime, so I must make do with the photos Richard and I managed on this trip and the memories that I captured in my heart and soul while blessed to visit this special place.  Tom McC, June 9, 2026.