Cahuilla Pictograph Boulder - San Jacinto Mountains

These pictographs were created by the Cahuilla Indians several hundred years ago (at a minimum) and related to female puberty initiation rites. The initiates themselves are thought to have "painted" the symbols. The symbols included various forms of chains, diamonds and zig-zags. These patterns are known to represent rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are the "spirit helpers" associated with females. 

"Other parts of the initiation rites involved isolation in a warmed pit for three days, thereby mimicking the ritual isolation and immobility practiced at childbirth; the ingestion of tobacco and resulting receipt of a supernatural vision; and apparently at the culmination of the initiation, the painting of the designs representing the spirit received during the girl's altered state." (David S. Whitley)

 A slightly different take on the last part of the initiation follows:
"The final event of the Indian puberty celebration consisted of a race, called a "hayie," to a certain rock where a relative of each girl awaited her with a little pot of red ochre paint. On arrival, each initiate painted a design on the rock.  Indian informants indicated that these designs were always diamond-shaped and represented the rattlesnake." (Dolcie H. Vuncannon)

Once the initiates had completed these rites, they were considered women.

 A photo of the "pictograph rock" You can see part of the fence around it also

 The same photo enhanced by DStretch

A closer view of  the symbols

 Same image after DStretch - Notice that all the patterns described above are present here

 Included just because I liked it

Earlier posts to similar pictograph sites:
Female puberty initiation site in Joshua Tree National Park
Female puberty initiation site (possible) in Joshua Tree National Park
Female puberty initiation site in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park



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Red Hands Pictographs - Joshua Tree National Park

Back to Joshua Tree National Park for a few posts (I'm still playing catch-up).

By now, I'm sure you've caught my drift relating to this place. I love it and I've been going there for over 50 years. Unfortunately, I've forgotten more about this place, than I remember. This pictograph site is pretty small and archaeologists who originally surveyed it, considered it part of another close by site (here is a link to my post on it). The park doesn't talk about it, or even admit that it exists. That is too bad, because it is close to one of their most visited and advertised, tourist attractions. I've scoured the internet for information on this site, but there just isn't any. It's only mentioned on two websites that I know of. I know those people and both of them gave it their own name (for different reasons). I'm having trouble thinking of what I"m going to call it.

The site is in this area. If you can figure that out, more power to you.

It's a small panel on the concave side of a boulder.

Same photo as above, enhanced with DStretch. Some of the pictographs are very faded, but it is very clear that most of them are red hand prints. 

Embiggen this photo to better see the hands

A better look.  Although there is zero historical information available about this site, I'm pretty sure it relates to female puberty initiates. I say this because all of the hand prints are fairly small and red is the "female" color.  I'm not saying that all red pictographs relate to females, but these most likely do. There is also another "known" initiate site fairly close by. Here is a link to my post on that site. I wish I knew all the facts.

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