Petroglyphs, Mastodon Petroglyphs, Mastodon Mystery and Climate Mystery and Climate

ChangeChange

- - Three Discussions about the Three Discussions about the prehistoric American West & what prehistoric American West & what

lessons can be applied to the present lessons can be applied to the present dayday

Part 1: Paleohistory of the Part 1: Paleohistory of the American WestAmerican West

North AmericaNorth AmericaSatellite viewSatellite view

North North AmericaAmericaSatellite Satellite

viewview12kya12kya

Keeling CurveKeeling Curve

PaleoClimate ChangePaleoClimate Change

Tardis, from Dr. WhoTardis, from Dr. Who

PictographPictograph

PictographPictographBarrier Canyon StyleBarrier Canyon Style

PictographPictographBarrier Canyon StyleBarrier Canyon Style

PictographPictographBarrier Canyon StyleBarrier Canyon Style

Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Cliff Dwellings at Mesa VerdeVerde

Anasazi Cliff DwellingAnasazi Cliff Dwelling

Some Ancient Indian Some Ancient Indian CulturesCultures

Petroglyphs – Atlatl Rock Petroglyphs – Atlatl Rock NVNV

Valley of Fire, Nevada. Impressive group of people, animals and designs etched in a desert sandstone wall.

AtlatlAtlatl

www.uwlax.edu

Modern Modern PetroglyphPetroglyph

Chichen ItzaChichen Itza

Carocal (Observatory) at Chichen Carocal (Observatory) at Chichen ItzaItza

Maize Maize & Kokopeli& Kokopeli

Great Basin CurvilinearGreat Basin Curvilinear ca 2-3 kya ca 2-3 kya

Great Basin CurvilinearGreat Basin CurvilinearFallon, NVFallon, NV

Petroglyphs are more than just graffiti. This is another example of Great Basin Curvilinear (ca 2-3000 yrs bp). Circles and lines do not reveal much about the meaning or purpose of this petroglyph. Can you imagine what the artist was depicting?

PetroglyphPetroglyphFallon, NVFallon, NV

Pit & Groove ca 5 kyaPit & Groove ca 5 kya

Pit and Groove Petroglyphs are older than 5000 years. Petroglyphs are dated by the amount of discoloration, "Desert Varnish", which has formed on the etching.

A Wall of Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point at Lava Bed National Monument, California overlooks Tule Lake and distant sacred Mount Shasta. When these carvings were made, the wall was next to the shore of Tule Lake. It is now easily accessible and is protected with a 100 yard fence.

Dry Lake in Death ValleyDry Lake in Death Valley

PleistocenPleistocene Nevadae Nevada

greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/mf-maps/mf-2323/

Crater LakeCrater Lake

Ash Layer near Missoula Ash Layer near Missoula MTMT

Lake Missoula FloodsLake Missoula Floods

North North America America

ca. 11 kyaca. 11 kya

EpochsEpochs

HoloceneHolocene PleistocenePleistocene PliocenePliocene MioceneMiocene OligoceneOligocene EoceneEocene PaleocenePaleocene

10,000 ya-present10,000 ya-present 1.8 mya – 10 kya1.8 mya – 10 kya 5.3 mya – 1.8 mya5.3 mya – 1.8 mya 23 mya – 5.3 mya23 mya – 5.3 mya 34 mya – 23 mya34 mya – 23 mya 55 mya – 34 mya55 mya – 34 mya 65 mya-55mya65 mya-55mya

Cool & Dry Cool & WetWarm & Dry Warm & Wet

Holocene Climate (10,000 years to present)

10 68 04 2Years Before Present

Lake Bonneville Flood

Lake Missoula Floods

Mayan Civilization

Anasazi Disappear

ColumbusMt Mazama Explodes Maize Developed

Bow & Arrow Appear

ModernGreat Basin CurvilinearPit & Groove

AltithermalMedi-

thermalEarly Archaic

MegafaunaExtinction

Clovis Culture

ConclusionsConclusions

Global Temperatures were constant Global Temperatures were constant during the Holoceneduring the Holocene

There were major changes in There were major changes in precipitation patterns (drought) in precipitation patterns (drought) in the West the West

Some Cultures probably disappeared Some Cultures probably disappeared because of droughtbecause of drought

Major Catastrophes also occurred Major Catastrophes also occurred that probably killed humans that probably killed humans

Puebloan tradition holds that the ancestors had achieved great spiritual power and control over natural forces, and used their power in ways that caused nature to change, and caused changes that were never meant to occur. Possibly, the dismantling of their religious structures was an effort to symbolically undo the changes they felt they caused due to their abuse of their spiritual power, and thus make amends with nature.

- Bryce Harrington Dec 1, 2006 Wikipedia

Geological ErasGeological Eras Holocene Holocene 10,000 years ago to present 10,000 years ago to present  Pleistocene Pleistocene .01 – 2 Million years ago.01 – 2 Million years ago Pliocene Pliocene 2 – 13 Million years ago2 – 13 Million years ago Miocene Miocene 13 – 25 million years ago13 – 25 million years ago Oligocene Oligocene 25 - 58 million years ago25 - 58 million years ago Eocene Eocene 58 – 36 million years ago58 – 36 million years ago Paleocene Paleocene 65 – 58 million years 65 – 58 million years

agoago

Climate Compared to 10 ky average

N. C. Heywood (nheywood@uwsp.edu)

Early Early ArchaicArchaic

Alti-Alti-thermalthermal

Medi-Medi-thermalthermal

TerminalTerminal ArchaicArchaic

Anasazi Disappear

Clovis PeopleKennewick Man

PuebloPueblo

Mt Mazama Explodes

Pit &Groove

Lake Missoula Floods & Megafaunal Extinction Great Basin

Curvilinear

Bow &Arrow

John Kantnerhttp://sipapu.ucsb.edu/timeline/index.html

Maize

Columbus

Holocene (10,000 bp) Chronology

Crater Lake & Ash Crater Lake & Ash

Crater Lake Present Day – 7700 & 7100 years after Volcanic Explosions(VEI=7)

Layer of Volcanic Ash near Missoula, MT- Probably killed humans and animals

MegaFloodsMegaFloods

14,500 ya 10,000 ya