Archaeological and Historical Society sponsored tour of the glyphs and bell rocks on Cocoraque butte on private property next to Ironwood Forest National Monument April 8, 2018; Don & Suzanne
1 After about a 5 mile, dirt road drive, we arrive at the Cocoraque Ranch which is on private property adjacent to the Ironwood Forest National Monument.
2 There is one of the Cocoraque "hills" that is on private property (the Cocoraque Ranch). We are joining an Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society outing to see the glyphs and bell rocks that the society has catalogued for this site. Artifacts have been found here that date to prehistoric Native American peoples from 2,000 to 3,000 years B.C.
3 Don sees what he thinks may be glyphs high up on that hill and zooms in with his 35X lens camera to verify that they are what he thinks.
4 First a tour around the ranch
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15 OK, let's go see some of the glyphs that the Society has catalogued.
16 We start in a near-by wash.
17 We walk by a water storage reservoir.
18 This is the original, hand-dug, well that used to supply lots of water.
19 The water table has dropped over the past many years, until this well no longer supports the ranch activities. A deep well the owners had drilled near-by, now supples the ranch.
20 The next set of glyphs
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23 A pregnant female
24 Probably not the sun; more likely a flower.
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29 The ranch viewed from a little ways up the hill
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32 An owl.
33 Our guide says this is the most beautiful set of glyphs on one rock that she has seen on the Cocoraque Hills.
34 This is a "bell rock." Note the patina on the left end of this rock is worn way, most likely because of people stricking this end with another rock to make it ring. The society has identified 726 bell rocks in both Cocoraque Buttes and Cocoraque Ranch.
35 Here is Suzanne "ringing" a bell rock she found.
36More bell rock ringing: A single hammer followed by multiple hammers (audio only).
37More bell rock ringing: A single hammer (audio only).
38More bell rock ringing: Multiple hammers (audio only).
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41 A male chieftan
42 Perhaps a datura seed?
43 This is a datura seed.
44 These are seeds of the datura plant.
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51 The grid like pattern is thought to be kernals on an ear of corn
52 Cocoraque Ranch from near the top of the hill
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56 Oops, it's easy to date some of this. Like the Feb 2 1912 part.
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59 A maze.
60 We're nearing the top.
61 We were asked if we see the skull here. Some of us (including me) thought it was the small neaderthal looking skull just about the center of this photo. But it was pointed out that that was one of the two eye sockets in a much larger skull. Some glyphs are made by "pecking" "dots" into the patina to define the art. Does that help?
62 Cranking up the contrast helps.
63 But if you isolate the area of the "pecks" or dots in the patina, a skull can be discerned here.
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65 A snake, maybe two. This rock has probably fallen over from its original upright position where the one snake would have been horizontal
66 A pregnant female.
67 Here is the path down the other side.- much less strewn with large rocks and easier to descend.
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69 The remaining pics, taken by Suzanne, are ones that I didn't get integrated into the previous pics - enjoy.
70 A cleft rock.
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91 Oddvar found some bell rocks.
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93 Looks suspicious? It's Tom Brady again; the guy is everywhere.
