Pictographs

Pictographs. What Do They Mean?. , Like all art, the pictographs painted on desert bedrock along this trail have the power to stir the imagination. What do these symbols mean? Who created them? When and why? , It's hard to answer those questions with certainty. Hundreds of years have passed since native artists had their inspiration. A few details, however, suggest explanations. , Color is important. In the native artists' culture, red is often a "female" color, while black is "male." Sites like this might be part of growing up. Young Indians, both boys and girls, went through initiation rites. Some pictographs appear to be related to vision or spirit helper. , It's important to preserve these pictographs. Not only are they sacrec to contemporary Kumeyaay, but the can be an emotional link between past and present for everyone. Inspiration, artistic expression, and curiosity are universal. Enjoy and imagine. , Pictographs are still found in sheltered locations at several sites in the Park. Considered sacred by native peoples, they survived for hundreds of years. Help ensure that they're not damaged or lost in the 21st century. Take photos, but please don't touch them. , "In preparing red paint, the artist used hematite or red iron oxide and the oil of roasted wild cucumber kernels ... To make black paint, wild cucumber seeds were roasted and charred on a piece of burning oak bark, then ground and mixed [with] manganese oxide or charcoal. Yellow paint was made from yellow ochre or limonite, and white came from white ash or gypsum deposits..." , , The Forgotten Artist, Manfred Knaak