Kitchen Rock Petroglyphs, June 2010 |
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| Kitchen Rock Petroglyphs site is a jumble of volcanic boulders on the west side of Fish Slough Canyon. |
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| It's a heavily weathered area where exposed rock has been scoured by wind and water for millennia. |
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| Exploring the site, you may find yourself wondering where are the petroglyphs? |
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| View south-west towards Bishop and Hwy 395. |
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| Examples of weathered volcanic rock. |
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| There are a handful of stone archways at the site. |
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| Arriving a little after 9AM, we had the site entirely to ourselves. |
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| At the opposite end of the site, a small group of petroglyphs. |
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| Not sure why these boulders appear darker than others in the area. |
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| Their dark composition helps accentuate these carvings. Perhaps that's why they were chosen. |
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| At first these were the only petroglyphs we found at the site. |
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| An unusual table-like rock sculpted by the elements. |
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| Over thousands of years the combined forces of wind and water have worn away this boulder. |
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| Turning to leave, noticed a few of petroglyphs on this dark volcanic rock. |
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| Its far side was entirely covered with petroglyphs. |
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| And beneath its protective, overhanging edge, five mortar holes. |
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We'd been at the site an hour, the sun had climbed and it was very hot. |
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| Sitting beneath the overhanging rock, this work area would have remained cool. Note: At no time do I touch or tread upon petroglyphs. I use a variety of telephoto lens to capture images. |
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| The deepest of these mortar holes was less than 3". |
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| There are additional mortar holes at this site. Look for them on the low plateau directly behind these boulders. |
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| Kitchen Rock Petroglyph site looking north east. The White Mountains are seen in the distance. |
| Here are links to other Fish Slough petroglyph sites: Chidago, Red Canyon, Chalfant |
| For more information visit: Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern |
| Recommended reading: "A Guide to Rock Art Sites in Southern California and Southern Nevada" by David S. Whitney and "Coso Rock Art, a New Perspective" by Elva Younkin |
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