I hadn't intended on writing about suppositions that these petroglyphs are a result of vision quests and that one rock might have been used for acoustics, but it's too interesting and fun to pass up. Sort of like falling down the Google Scholar rabbit hole. In my quest to learn more about the Corn Springs petroglyphs, one article or research paper led to another and then another and soon I found myself reading about shamans, hallucinogens, and trance states. All river trade was finally ended with the damming of the Colorado River. But river commerce still held on after that with the introduction of gas-powered boats and gold dredges. Interestingly, the Yumas operated their own ferry at Yuma Crossing.Įxtensive steam boat travel on the Colorado and its tributaries ceased when the Southern Pacific Railroad completed tracks to Yuma in 1877, providing faster and cheaper shipping of goods. This steam boat mode of transportation caused the change and suppression of these ancient river peoples. Native Americans, such as the Yuma and Mojave, depended on Colorado River resources witnessed the invasion of the Gold Rush of 1849. Uncle Sam , a small steam tug was the first of many vessels to run the Colorado River, transporting miners, soldiers, ranchers, and merchants and their tools, supplies and millions of dollars of gold and silver extracted from mines. My post reader suggested I try to find this petroglyph and sent me an interesting report, " Steamboats on the Colorado River, 1852 - 1916 " by Richard E. This ancient trail has been traced to the Mule Mountains near Blythe, California.Ī noteworthy petroglyph appears to be a river paddle-wheel steamboat. Petroglyphs date as far back as 10,000 years, according to the BLM. Corn Springs is a 1.5-hour drive from Palm Springs, east on I-10, past the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, near the Salton Sea, and well worth the trip if you are interested in American southwest history.Ĭorn Springs was a reliable water source for Chemehuevi, Cahuilla, and Yuma Native Americans traveling between the Colorado River to the east and coastal areas and the Coachella Valley. (His comments at end of this post).įred and I were headed down to our annual Palm Springs, California visit anyway, so we added it to our agenda. He introduces Alfredo Acosta Figueroa's book, Ancient Footprints of the Colorado River: La Cuna de Aztlán, one that I'm planning to read. Check out his Aztlán article - he reveals a concept that I hadn't heard of before - that the Aztec culture birthplace was near Desert Center (30 mins drive from Corn Springs site) and Blythe in California. 62). He loves the Corn Springs site and writes about the work of the Native American Land Conservancy. Touring Coyote Hole: A look at Efforts to Preserve Ancestral Lands and Sacred Spaces in the California Desert.(January 2023, p. Aztlán in Our Backyard: The Southern California Origins of a Vanished Empire. James Ponder also contacted me with links to two awesome feature articles he wrote for Inland Empire Magazine: I'm sure glad he contacted me it's great to find someone who shares the same passion, curiosity, and appreciation of petroglyphs and the Native Americans' way of life. He gave me good tips about where to find extraordinary petroglyphs and suggested I read the book, A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest, by Alex Patterson. If it wasn't for a petroglyph enthusiast who commented on my post In Search of the Rattlesnake Petroglyph, I might not have known about the fantastic Corn Springs rock art. Rock Art at CA-RIV-981: Chronology, Imagery, and Function The petroglyphs are carved into granitic rocks that include dikes of felsic (light-colored rocks), and mafic (dark-colored rocks) that cross-cut them (see photos below).Ĭorn Springs Site scientific inventory: Clewlow, C. Geology: The Corn Springs Wash is a strike/slip (transverse) fault, as are many other faults in southern California, including the nearby San Andreas Fault. Petroglyphs are on east and west side of the wash.īLM information and interpretive trail guide.ĭriving: Graded gravel road 10 miles south of CA interstate 10, near Desert Center, east of Joshua Tree NP south entrance (link for driving directions in BLM site above). What: Bureau of Land Management Corn Springs Campground, at a California palm oasis that was a major occupation site for prehistoric Native Americans. Location: Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert - Southern California, Chuckwalla Mountains, Corn Springs Wash.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |