Thursday, May 7, 2020

Handprints Cave (part 2)

Last week, I took you on one of my all-time favorite hikes: "Handprints Cave", deep in the Wonderland of Rocks in Joshua Tree National Park. One of the absolutely incredible things about this secret location is the large grinding slick with the mano (grinding stone) sitting right there, in plain view, just after you enter the cave. As if the Native Americans stepped out for a second and will return shortly! Makes you wonder how long that mano has been in that exact location. Likely hundreds of years, I would guess. I also shared some beautiful rock art in the front half of the cave. The hike to the cave and the cave itself has lots to see, so I had to split the post to keep it from rambling on forever.
This photo is a view out the back end of Handprints Cave. It's a large opening, and makes the cave feel roomy, cool, and fresh. Rock art is clearly visible on the ceiling in the back half of the cave. One extraordinary marking is a zigzag line that extends for a full 12' in length! In case you are wondering about my 12' claim, I measured it with a tape measure, so it's legit! It's a little hard to see the zigzag line in the photo above, but it starts in the upper left corner. I have no idea what significance it has. You can also make out some tally marks (at least that's what they look like to me) and some round marks of some kind. 

Close up of the tally marks

Here's a better view out the back end of the shelter. You can make out the reddish circular marks and the zigzag line on the cave ceiling. Pay special attention to those reddish blotches. On first examination, it's difficult to tell what they are.

Using a hand-held LED light and getting up closer to the "blotches", I'm suddenly struck by the fact that these are hand prints. LOTS of hand prints!

Seeing all these hand prints in person is really an incredible experience. I tried to count the number of hand prints, but some are very faint. You can see some of the very faint prints in the photo above. I wonder if they are older, with the more visible hand prints added more recently?

I count at least 30 hand prints. Most appear to be right hand prints, but at least a couple are lefties. And so interesting how the zigzag line seems to be a border, with all the hand prints being below the line.

Sorry about the blur. By the time I took this photo, I had been lying on my back or side on the floor of the cave for over an hour, balancing a light and heavy camera in the air. Add a tape measure to the mix, and things get sketchy. Anyway, the point is that the hand prints are quite small: About 5" from finger tip to the base of the hand. This one is a lefty.

One of my favorite photos because it gives you a view of some of the rock art (including hand prints and zigzag line), a view of the grinding slick on the left, and a sense of the size of the shelter. Just an amazing site and I find myself wondering over and over again about the significance of the hand prints.

As I finish up photographing the ceiling, it's time for some water and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I made this hike in November 2019, and it was unseasonably warm. Actually a downright hot day, and the shade and coolness in the cave was wonderful. As I look on the ground around me, I'm shocked to see what looks like another mano (above). The stone is worn smooth and I know of no other way to explain it. Most of the natural rock in the area is angular and rough.

A few more bites from my sandwich and I notice another mano-like rock.
This one has worn, rounded edges, and it's not clear to me if this is a mano or perhaps just a piece of a larger mono stone.

The more I look, the more I find, which is very weird. It seems that the floor of Handprints Cave is full of manos! If not for the hand print pictographs, I would suggest this shelter be named "Mano Cave"!! The three stones above all show evidence of worn, ground down edges or surfaces. I wonder if this shelter was used predominately as a seasonal grinding shelter? Just conjecture, but the large grinding surface at the shelter entrance and all the possible mano stones make me think this might have been the case.

A view of Handprints Cave from the back entrance.
It's getting late but I'm very reluctant to start my hike back. This shelter has a nice "feel" to it and it makes you want to stay, but it's a long, tough hike to the car. I feel elated and energized after seeing such a special location that few others have seen. Such a privilege, and I'm careful to leave it exactly as I found it. I'm hopeful that the next explorer that finds it will enjoy it as much as I have.

Flying Saucer rock?


Don't know what this one's called. My vote would be "Fish Head Rock"!

Hiking back through the Wonderland, it's comforting to see the old familiar rock formations.

Thanks for coming along with me on another desert adventure. Hope this post finds you safe and healthy!
Linking with Skywatch Friday.

49 comments:

  1. ...another fabulous journey, my friend. Thanks for taking me along!!!

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  2. One word sums it all up Awesome, you are so lucky to see such treasures as that and I hope it stays untouched as you found it

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  3. I'm fascinated with the hand prints. I keep wondering if they meant something.

    Great photos and thanks for sharing.

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  4. I really must thank you for my continuing education with you. I've gone on so many wonderful trails and seen so many fantastic rock formations. This cave is like a mind-boggleing trip to the past.

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  5. Wow. That is quite the location.

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  6. What was they counting with that tally mark one wonders. A great set of photos,as usual. I´m out of breath just thinking about the hike. Kudos! Keep Safe!

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  7. The cave is so interesting! As you said, it makes you wonder about the significance of the designs and the handprints. And then I thought, maybe they did it for decoration. Maybe it’s just supposed to be pretty. Another stunning set of photos!

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  8. How I would love to spend time there...it is all fascinating.

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  9. What an incredible place. I would love to see it.

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  10. Wonderful place, thanks for the post.
    Amazing pics.
    Stay well. Happy weekend.

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  11. Simply amazing. As always we love the photos and information. I can only imagine the feeling at looking at the cave walls and ceilings. Thanks agin,
    Sherry & jack

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  12. Amazing find, those do look like hand prints. And finding all the manos is amazing as well. In the high desert of Utah as kids back in the 60's we found all sorts of what we called grinding stones and the rocks that went with them. Lots of people had them and were not considered that big a deal.

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  13. A privilege for sure. And so exciting even for me way up north. I call the one rock formation 'The Three Sisters" or Nuns. LOL Unbelievable to find so many grinding stones. I do hope others leave the finds alone. The hand prints are marvelous.
    MB

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  14. Fantastic. Your curiosity to explore is highly motivating

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  15. Amazing what a great time you must have had. I was curious about the hand size so I measured my own and it is 5 1/2inches from tip to palm. Put it in perspective for me. I just love going on these trips with you.Thank you for sharing with us.

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  16. Vielen Dank für die Mitnahme auf diese interessante Wanderung!

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  17. I always see so many faces in the rocks... As for the hands, I imagine the people who made the prints weren't very tall. Great pictures and descriptions!

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  18. Great trip again.It were small hands in those times but nice to see.

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  19. Wow, another great series of amazing pictures !

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  20. Hello, What a great find, the cave and handprints are a cool sight. Love the rock formations and pretty sky! Wonderful series of photos. Happy Friday, enjoy your day and weekend!

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  21. I've never seen anything like those hand prints. Wow! Cool rocks and a cave. Another amazing photo safari.

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  22. Found you through Skywatch. You have an amazing blog.Lovely photos and story behind it. I wish I could visit them some day! :)

    https://nanchi.blog/

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  23. Thank you for visiting my blog today.

    God bless.

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  24. Wee, the last one looks like a tiger!!!
    I can´t remember where exactly it was in Australia, but we saw Hippo´s Yawn. Stones do that, huh?

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  25. This is so amazing. Could a tribe have separated into several small bands for part of the year and then reunited - maybe the tally is some kind of census and the people marked their handprints as some kind of record? Speculation may never get us to the truth, but I thank you once again for taking us along, and for hiding the location from those who would not have pure motives in trying to find this treasure.

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    1. My speculation is similar to yours. I would guess this location was used seasonally (vs. a permanent shelter), and perhaps the hand prints was a way to document who was there. That might explain why some of the hand prints look much older and more faded than others.

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  26. Very interesting photos! I really enjoyed looking at them and I am very impressed! There are so many beautiful things in our world, aren't there?
    Btw... thank you for visiting my blog today!
    Have a nice weekend!

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  27. Another great post with awesome photos, Peter.
    It's an interesting and puzzling location.

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  28. A fantastic tour once again. I love the fish head, it did look like one. :)
    Thanks for being our tour guide and have a wonderful weekend.
    Stay safe!

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  29. There sure is a lot of lovely rock art where you go hiking. What a treasure. Stay safe out there.

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  30. I'm glad you said there was a nice 'feel' to the cave. Sometimes the ancestral spirits leave a place feeling almost menacing, so it is good to know there was a happy energy associated with the rock art and hand prints. I almost get a sense of women singing as they work :)

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  31. Can imagine the stories these hold! Amazing!

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  32. With all the great discoveries you made in Mano cave, I would be reluctant to leave, too! About the small hands, I reasoned, if the people were shorter in the past, their hands must have been smaller (shorter) too. Happy for all your discoveries here:) Have a great weekend, Jesh

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  33. Beautiful photos! It's amazing to see the handprints!

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  34. Truly amazing. We have been watching some T.V. shows recently on the handprint caves. One of the caves, I forget where, they said the handprints were made from people who had been sacrificed.

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  35. Hari OM
    Hi there! thank you for visiting my photo blog on occasions - I finally got round to visiting you and golly it's worth it - your descriptions are fabulous and photos bring it all to life. I checked back over the last few posts to get context and I shall be back for more!!! YAM xx

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  36. Another great hike. It would be interesting to be able to understand the writing on the rocks.

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  37. Another wonderful journey and incredible finds. And of course, fantastic photos.

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  38. These are all so beautiful! It sure will mesmerize me too when I see those handprints in person. Imagine how many hundreds of years those have been there.

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  39. You know so many magical places in your beloved desert!

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  40. The handprints are an intriguing mystery.

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  41. Beautiful place and those handprints are something else ~ Wow! Great post and photos ~ so fascinating ~

    Be Well and Happy Mother's Day to You and family ,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  42. Oh my gosh that was marvelous SPP, how very exciting to find the handprints, so many of them! I'm guessing women and childrens handprints. Isn't there any recorded history re the inhabitants of Joshua tree area? You do find the most fascinating stone formations and caves on your hikes ✨

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  43. I usually only read a smattering of others' comments but Anonymous above caught my eye. Yeeks. It's hard to believe that kind of thinking would exist back in the day when the handprints were made since people had to work and live together. Wouldn't it be wonderful if people could reach through time and tell us their intention?

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  44. Another brilliant tour. I saw a picture made of children's handprints in a window yesterday - one mother's way of occupying her little one's during this Covid epidemic. Some things don't change.

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  45. In total awe both of the journey *and* the destination. Your pictures from inside the cave make it easy to imagine what the cave would have felt like for the people who left their handprints. (And, for that matter, how it felt to you, the modern-day explorer.). I loved this tour ...both parts. Thank you for sharing the amazing find .

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  46. I have to admit something right here and now! I spend so much time looking at your photos and reading your blog that I run out of time and sometimes I don't comment. But I don't think I miss a post and want to thank you for all the amazing photos you've taken and shared. I'm especially interested in these photos. I lived on the Navajo Reservation years ago and got to see some amazing things there that have left an impression on me. Thanks again! When you take tourists out on hikes....sign me up! lol Take care!

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