Monolith
#2 at the Herschel Petroglyphs via Figure A23 in the drawing by Erinn
Dayle Schneider, p. 120, as cited below, shows stars of Scorpio, the Milky Way edge, the Ecliptic Meridian, the Celestial Meridian, the Celestial Equator, and the Ecliptic at the Autumn Equinox in ca. 3000 B.C.
Below is our own simplified illustration showing the petroglyphs and our decipherment of the corresponding stars of Scorpio, as found on Monolith #2 of the Herschel Petroglyphs:
Our image was made as in illustration relying on petroglyph placements in a photograph as Figure A23 of Monolith #2 at the Herschel Petroglyphs, as published in Schneider's Masters Thesis, Rock art in southern Saskatchewan, Department of Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, 2003 -- online at eCommons Electronic Theses and Dissertations: http://ecommons.usask.ca/handle/10388/etd-03052009-135851 and http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-03052009-135851.
The same basic star group on Monolith #2 in the same essential ancient "design" is found integrated in a petroglyph at the Saskatchewan petroglyphic site of Weyburn, a petroglyph which caught our attention immediately because of its 4 eyes, identical to the cupmarks (cupules) on Herschel Petroglyphs Monolith #2 marking the head stars of Scorpio.
In the Weyburn petroglyph, the stars are creatively used in drawing the face viz. visage of a person. Indeed, the main stars mark the eyes so subtly, that you have to look to see that this is not a "natural" face with its four eyes.
The artist also added various features, reflected in the shapes formed by the stars, such as hair, ears, neck, even eyebrows, and an "O"-shape star group marking the mouth of the figure near the Autumn Equinox ca. 3000 B.C. Also incorporated cleverly are the main astronomical lines: celestial equator, celestial meridian, the ecliptic, the ecliptic meridian and the Milky Way edge.
Schneider, cited above, published the Weyburn petroglyph as Figure A81 on page 163 of that above source. We show that petroglyph below at the left in simplified form in our own illustration with the principally relevant stars in blue, which were the main clue, and then to the immediate right we show the stars portrayed by the petroglyph. Note not only the star representations but also the fact that the relative proportions of the faces match. What at first looked like a strange petroglyphic visage turns out to be clever astronomical art portrayal of the skies out of the prehistoric era, called the Archaic Era in Archaeology:
We had trouble with Monolith #2 in assigning the proper stars to the cupules and lines on the petroglyphs until we saw the above Weyburn petroglyph, which clearly showed which stars were intended to be portrayed. That also helped to clearly set the date of making of the Monolith #2 petroglyphs.
THIS POSTING IS Posting Number 24 of
The Great Mound, Petroglyph and Painted Rock Art Journey of Native America
Herschel Petroglyphs Monolith #2 Marks Stars at the Head of Scorpio Marking the Autumn Equinox ca. 3000 B.C.
Below is our own simplified illustration showing the petroglyphs and our decipherment of the corresponding stars of Scorpio, as found on Monolith #2 of the Herschel Petroglyphs:
Our image was made as in illustration relying on petroglyph placements in a photograph as Figure A23 of Monolith #2 at the Herschel Petroglyphs, as published in Schneider's Masters Thesis, Rock art in southern Saskatchewan, Department of Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, 2003 -- online at eCommons Electronic Theses and Dissertations: http://ecommons.usask.ca/handle/10388/etd-03052009-135851 and http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-03052009-135851.
The same basic star group on Monolith #2 in the same essential ancient "design" is found integrated in a petroglyph at the Saskatchewan petroglyphic site of Weyburn, a petroglyph which caught our attention immediately because of its 4 eyes, identical to the cupmarks (cupules) on Herschel Petroglyphs Monolith #2 marking the head stars of Scorpio.
In the Weyburn petroglyph, the stars are creatively used in drawing the face viz. visage of a person. Indeed, the main stars mark the eyes so subtly, that you have to look to see that this is not a "natural" face with its four eyes.
The artist also added various features, reflected in the shapes formed by the stars, such as hair, ears, neck, even eyebrows, and an "O"-shape star group marking the mouth of the figure near the Autumn Equinox ca. 3000 B.C. Also incorporated cleverly are the main astronomical lines: celestial equator, celestial meridian, the ecliptic, the ecliptic meridian and the Milky Way edge.
Schneider, cited above, published the Weyburn petroglyph as Figure A81 on page 163 of that above source. We show that petroglyph below at the left in simplified form in our own illustration with the principally relevant stars in blue, which were the main clue, and then to the immediate right we show the stars portrayed by the petroglyph. Note not only the star representations but also the fact that the relative proportions of the faces match. What at first looked like a strange petroglyphic visage turns out to be clever astronomical art portrayal of the skies out of the prehistoric era, called the Archaic Era in Archaeology:
We had trouble with Monolith #2 in assigning the proper stars to the cupules and lines on the petroglyphs until we saw the above Weyburn petroglyph, which clearly showed which stars were intended to be portrayed. That also helped to clearly set the date of making of the Monolith #2 petroglyphs.
THIS POSTING IS Posting Number 24 of
The Great Mound, Petroglyph and Painted Rock Art Journey of Native America
Herschel Petroglyphs Monolith #2 Marks Stars at the Head of Scorpio Marking the Autumn Equinox ca. 3000 B.C.
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