We can learn something about how our ancient ancestors lived through the imprints they left on the rocks and caves we can see today.
The White Mountain engravings are eloquent evidence of the life of the Native American tribes that lived there 200 to 1,000 years ago. In addition to the hundreds of carvings in the area, there are also giant handprints carved in the rock .
In other parts of the world, petroglyphs can be up to 20,000 years old. However, they began to decline with the discovery and use of other writing surfaces, different art forms and hieroglyphs.
The site of the White Mountains rock carvings is located in the Red Desert , Wyoming – once inhabited by Native American tribes.
The petroglyphs and hieroglyphs are windows into the past, providing us with data and information about the lives of the people who created them.
Here, on the picture, there are carvings and handprints that are the most tangible connections we have with the Great Basin Native Americans who lived there 200 to 1,000 years ago. They include the Shoshone, Arapaho and Ute tribes .
In many cultures, such as Native Americans, continued to make them until contact with Western culture, sometimes in the late 18th or even 19th century.
These petroglyphs tell us a lot about the beliefs and culture of the people who lived here several hundred years ago and beyond. There are carvings in the White Mountains that look like bison and elk hunts. On the stone surface, there are also carved images of buffaloes and wild horses. In addition to the animals, there are many interesting geometric shapes and small footprints that adorn the rock surface.
A bison carved in sandstone. The Plains and Great Basin Indians were the first inhabitants of Wyoming, and they left white Mountain engravings centuries ago.
Although not much is known about these past shapes or symbols, Native Americans still considered them sacred symbols. They feel connected to nature and feel positive when they come here. According to one Native American elder, these symbols have a very important and community meaning to them. They feel these rocks are alive and connected to them.
There are hundreds of carvings and drawings here, and each tells a story from centuries ago.
But the most mysterious thing is the handprints carved deep into the solid sandstone , as if someone had mysteriously softened the stone and carved a hand into it.
According to historians, the fingerprints were made by the Easter Shoshone tribes between AD 1,000-1,800. Since then, thousands of people have continued to perform the same movement with their hands on the sandstone. It is this that creates the effect of carving fingerprints deep into the stone.
According to historians, the fingerprints were made by the Easter Shoshone tribes between AD 1,000-1,800.
According to a website on Wyoming history, this is the birthplace of the Plains and Great Basin tribes. And local stories tell that indigenous women used to visit the White Mountains when they gave birth. When they started labor and they had contractions, their hands often clung to the face of the mountain and over time deep handprints in the sandstone were made.
Today, the site is considered very sacred by Native Americans, and visitors are encouraged to respect the site and not destroy any part of its history through vandalism.
Today, the petroglyphs in the White Mountains are one of Wyoming’s best kept secrets. It only receives about 12,000 visitors a year (free admission).
The petroglyphs at the White Mountains are created from sandstone, a soft rock that will gradually harden over time. They were probably carved with an object harder than sandstone.
But what about those handprints that look like they’ve been cut? They are deep in the solid sandstone, giving the impression that the ancients were somehow able to soften the stone. Although these have not been studied much, experts believe the birth story may have a plausible explanation. These stones are soft, and over time, through countless hand thrusts into the sandstone, this can cause these handprints to imprint very deep and large into the sandstone.
Not only in the White Mountains but all over the world, there are similar examples of stone bending and carving. In fact, to this day scientists and historians often debate the topic of how ancient civilizations really knew advanced mechanisms for melting or softening rocks.
Scientists also believe that ancient cultures may have known to use high temperatures to shape rocks. This process vitrified the surface of the rocks, making them look like glass and easy to carve. But exactly how that process is done is still a mystery.
The petroglyphs in the White Mountains have yet to be formally studied or studied by anyone. At the moment, the White Mountains only receive 12,000 visitors a year. It is hoped that when visiting this special relic, visitors will respect the sacredness and take a light step to preserve the petroglyphs for as long as possible.