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The Coso Range is situated between the Sierra Nevada’s on the west and the Argus Range to the east. Owens Lake lies to the north and Indian Wells Valley lies to the south. This north–south trending range of about 400 square miles consists of rhyolitic domes and outcrops of volcanic rock. Annual rainfall is less than 20 inches and much of the habitable areas are around 6000’ elevation. Also known as Little Petroglyph Canyon and Sand Tanks, Renegade Canyon is but one of several major canyons in the Coso Range, each hosting thousands of petroglyphs. The 91 square miles encompassing the major canyons contain approximately 100,000 petroglyphs; this is the highest concentration of petroglyphs in North America. The majority of the Coso Range images thus far cataloged fall into one of six categories: bighorn sheep, entopic images (images created by the optic nerve while in a trance like state), anthropomorphic or human-like figures (usually male), other animals, weapons & tools, and “medicine bag” images. Fortunately for the petroglyphs, most of the Coso Range is on the China Lakes Naval Weapons Base, visitation is restricted, vandalism is low, and preservation is most likely. Renegade Canyon itself is a rock and sand bottom wash sloping downhill east to west, is approximately 1.3 miles in length, ranges between 5 and 200 feet in width, and is lined by canyon walls 10 to 50 feet and higher. Concentrated panels and isolated petroglyphs of animals, abstracts and ornate anthropomorphs occur all along the length of the canyon. Petroglyph dating using the latest technology has provided dates as old as 16,000 years, as recent as the 1800's, and includes a progression of dates in between. The preponderance of bighorn sheep petroglyphs in the Coso Range is attributed to Great Basin shaman who would come here from as far away as Utah to commune with the spirit world. Bighorns are the specialized spirit helper of the rain shaman and many bighorn petroglyphs are thought to represent ‘spirit sheep’ used in rainmaking activities. |
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A narrow section of Renegade Canyon. |
Many boulder in the east end of the canyon are covered with colorful lichens making it difficult to discern the petroglyphs. |
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| These bighorn sheep on the top surface of a water worn boulder are easily missed by passers by. |
These two human-like figures may be engaged in warfare, or the images may have been made separately years apart. |
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Dogs were used to drive bighorn sheep past ambush points that concealed men with bows. Coyotes images were used in shamanism to "attack" the spirit helpers of other shaman. |
This controversial petroglyph may show a mammoth being speared by four prehistoric hunters. |
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These faint pits, or cupolas, pecked in the stone are examples of Great Basin pit and groove petroglyphs, believed to be the oldest style in the Western U.S. |
Elaborately costumed
anthropomorphs, representing powerful shaman, are found throughout the
canyon. |
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Well made depictions of atlatls, or throwing boards, predate the bow and arrow and are at least 2000 years old. |
There are only a couple of pictographs in Renegade Canyon. |
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| This typical Renegade Canyon petroglyph panel shows many individual images, superimposition and varying degrees of repatinization. | Instead of representing of real sheep, two headed bighorns and bighorns with elaborate designs probably represent spirit sheep. |
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| If the authors of the Renegade Canyon petroglyphs made images of the animals they hunted, the canyon would be full of petroglyph rabbits like the one shown here, instead; rabbit petroglyphs are rare. |
These petroglyphs are very heavily re-varnished and
are many thousands of years old. For more Rock Art visit Sand Carved Designs |
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See...
Petroglyph Replicas Carved in Stone
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©2005 All rights reserved. Reproduction, distribution or other use of images without permission from the artist is prohibited. |
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