Pictograph Cave State Park (photos and videos at that link) because of the similar gigantic dimensions could be viewed as the comparable in North America to Lascaux in France (see https://books.google.de/books?id=A7MKwOWT0zgC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14), Saqsaywaman in Peru, and the Extern Stones (Externsteine) in Germany.
Pictograph Cave State Park has caves -- more properly "overhangs", petroglyphs and sandstone cliffs, the latter, as we have discovered, marked with gigantic figures and cupules, all -- we allege -- marking stars of the heavens.
Because of sandstone erosion, "see it while you can" might be the motto of this site as regards the giant wall "cupules" viz. holes and indentations of Pictograph Cave State Park near Billings, Montana, which according to our decipherment mark stars in the sky ca. 3000 B.C. Luckily for our work, what is outside the caves appears more important than what is inside. Pictographs are later in time.
Earlier this year, as reported by Brett French in the Billings Gazette in Pictograph Cave park assessed for rock repairs, the Pictograph Caves were closed for public viewing when a giant car-sized slab of overhanging sandstone in the normal process of erosion fell down and shattered the concrete viewing area below it. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Sandstone is subject to erosion, so that the rock stability problem is known to officials but difficult to secure.
The outer cupule wall locations at Pictograph Cave State Park have been drawn and subjectively interpreted here by Andis Kaulins based on online photographs found via Google Image Search, especially photos and videos by Scott at AllAroundTheWest.com and by Elliot Stahl at Flickr (commercial set of copyrighted photographs of Pictograph Cave State Park).
To avoid copyright issues we have had to make our own drawings, creating a panorama view divided into two sections. It is a very time-consuming process, but then we do not have to worry about intellectual property problems, as these illustrations are our own work, and rely on numerous sources.
The decipherment drawings below are thus our cupmark selections (cupules, "holes"). The same applies to the alleged figures sculpted in the stone. Such identifications here are quite speculative and we make no warranty of accuracy that our selection is right. We think it could be, that is all.
The Giant Wall "Cupules" (Holes and Indentations)
of Pictograph Cave State Park, Billings, Montana
Mark Stars in the Sky ca. 3000 B.C. at Cave 1
This wall is at Cave 1, "the Pictograph Cave"
This wall is at Cave 1, "the Pictograph Cave"
The Giant Wall "Cupules" (Holes and Indentations)
of Pictograph Cave State Park, Billings, Montana
Mark Stars in the Sky ca. 3000 B.C. at Cave 3
This wall is at Cave 3, "the Ghost Cave"
This wall is at Cave 3, "the Ghost Cave"
Please note that until the archaeological community produces an "official" map of the wall cupmarks viz. holes in the cliffs, and until professional artists verify the figures carved in the cliffs, our decipherments here must remain highly speculative in nature.
THIS POSTING IS Posting Number 123 of
The Great Mound, Petroglyph and Painted Rock Art Journey of Native America
Pictograph Cave State Park Montana Giant Cliff Wall "Cupules" viz. Cupmarks (Holes and Indentations) and Carved Figures Mark Stars in the Sky ca. 3000 B.C.