© University of ColoradoResearchers found that petroglyphs discovered in western Nevada are at least 10,500 years old, making them the oldest rock art ever dated in North America.
On the west side of Nevada's dried-up Winnemucca Lake, there are several limestone boulders with deep, ancient carvings; some resemble trees and leaves, whereas others are more abstract designs that look like ovals or diamonds in a chain.
The true age of this rock art had not been known, but a new analysis suggests these petroglyphs are the oldest North America, dating back to between 10,500 and 14,800 years ago.
Though Winnemucca Lake is now barren, at other times in the past it was so full of water the lake would have submerged the rocks where the
petroglyphs were found and spilled its excess contents over Emerson Pass to the north.
To determine the age of the rock art, researchers had to figure out when the boulders were above the water line.
The overflowing lake left telltale crusts of
carbonate on these rocks, according to study researcher Larry Benson of the University of Colorado Boulder. Radiocarbon tests revealed that the carbonate film underlying the petroglyphs dated back roughly 14,800 years ago, while a later layer of carbonate coating the rock art dated to about 11,000 years ago.
Those findings, along with an analysis of sediment core sampled nearby, suggest the petroglyph-decorated rocks were exposed first between 14,800 and 13,200 years ago and again between about 11,300 and 10,500 years ago.
"Prior to our study, archaeologists had suggested these petroglyphs were extremely old," Benson said in a statement. "Whether they turn out to be as old as 14,800 years ago or as recent as 10,500 years ago, they are still the oldest petroglyphs that have been dated in North America."
Researchers previously believed the oldest rock art in North America could be found at Long Lake, Ore., in carvings that were created at least 6,700 years ago, before being covered in ash from the
Mount Mazama volcanic eruption.
The deeply carved lines and grooves in geometric motifs in the petroglyphs at Winnemucca Lake share similarities with their cousins in Oregon. As for what the petroglyphs represented to their Native American creators, researchers are still scratching their heads.
"We have no idea what they mean," Benson said. "But I think they are absolutely beautiful symbols. Some look like multiple connected sets of diamonds, and some look like trees, or veins in a leaf. There are few petroglyphs in the American Southwest that are as deeply carved as these, and few that have the same sense of size."
The findings will be detailed in the December 2013 issue of the
Journal of Archaeological Science.
Fish Scales & Fish Skeleton! BY A LAKE!
"We have no idea what they mean," Benson said. "But I think they are absolutely beautiful symbols. Some look like multiple connected sets of diamonds, and some look like trees, or veins in a leaf. There are few petroglyphs in the American Southwest that are as deeply carved as these, and few that have the same sense of size."
R.C. sez: Here's a reasonable hypothetical - certainly such that it's better than their "no idea" at all. The carvings are there because - and as a part of/next to - of a body of water called a "lake" that certainly had fish -a/k/a, 'food'! - in it!
The diamonds look like fish scales (carp?) and they sure seem to have been carved onto a fish-shaped rock for a 3D sculpture!
Similarly, the "leaf" looks more like a fish skeleton than a leaf skeleton.
I'd also not be at all surprised that other "we've-no-idea" carvings ther might represent images of gills, fish eyes, fins, and/or tails. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised to find that if they find other portions of that 'diamondized'/'scaled' rock, such as a tail, a head with eyes, gills, mouth, etc.
Also, round thereabouts, one would expect trees to mostly be pine/evergreens, rather than deciduous trees that display that type of leaf-skeleton.
Also, while such deciduous tree leaves can be pretty, they cannot keep one alive. If you were there, then, what would YOU care about? What would YOU worship? What would you put out as a sign for where your friends and family/tribe can get some chow?
An image of oak leaves? Or a perch? (Easy! Duh.)
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.
[Give a man taxpayer-paid grant/job/sinecure
Lower their IQ by about 40% (apparently.) ;-) ]
Final point, their entire analysis is based upon the idea that no sculpture would ever be purposely placed underwater. That could be a very erroneous assumption - e.g., this was at some point an underwater stone garden just below the surface. If such were the case, it might very well undermine their primary 'dating' conclusions.
R.C.
P.s., When this observation proves correct, do I get any of that grant/taxpayer paid money? Please advise. :-D
RC