The distinctive color in the Valley of Fire rock formations comes from the oxidizing metals in its Mesozoic-era sandstone. This stunning valley was venerated by Native Americans, as seen in numerous petroglyphs in the soft rock, and it was part of the old Arrowhead Highway auto trail through southern Nevada. The gray limestone below represents another 200 million years of deposits from the Paleozoic marine environment 550 million years ago. Underneath them is a 5,000-foot-deep layer dating back at least 250 million years, when brown mud was uplifted to displace the inland sea. These dunes petrified, oxidized, and were chiseled into psychedelic shapes and colors. The highest and youngest formations in the park are mountains of sand deposited by desert winds 140 million years ago. It is part of the Navajo Formation, a rocky block that stretches from southern Colorado through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, and its monuments-arches and protruding jagged walls in brilliant vermilion, magenta, and gold-epitomize the Southwest. Like Red Rock Canyon, this valley, six miles long and 3-4 miles wide, gets its distinctive color from the oxidizing metals in its Mesozoic-era sandstone. This is based an interpretation that is somewhat involved in the sense that it is not based on a direct cultural comparison.Working with a palette of red-tinged rock for 150 million years, the sun, wind, and rain created the masterpiece that is Valley of Fire State Park (29450 Valley of Fire Hwy., 702/397-2088). One writer suggests that Atl Atl Rock is a spear wound curing magic site. The best analogies are those where there is a direct connection between the historic and the prehistoric cultures. Ethnographic analogy is the interpretation of archeological remains by comparison to historical cultures.
This is where the concept of 'ethnographic analogy' comes in. "It seems possible to put these images to some kind of story. If we look at the specific elements we see feet, sheep, atlatl's, a cross, a ladder, zig-zag lines, concentric circles and other images." "That is part of what makes Atlatl Rock such a great puzzle and is the basis for its wide appeal. The images we think we know are mixed in with images that we can only guess at." "Atlatl Rock is intriguing because it contains images that we seem to know the meaning of because they look familiar. Through the means of ethnographic analogy, anthropologists try to interpret the possible meanings of these images." "No one will ever really know what any petroglyph that was made in prehistoric times means. Some of the interpretations are controversial." There are many interpretations of these images. "Atlatl Rock shows a set of images which appear to tell some kind of story. This was verified by taking compass readings from several vantage points."
The main panel is a relatively flat surface which faces EXACTLY east. "The petroglyphs glyphs at Atlatl Rock are out in the open, visible to passers by, about 40 to 60 feet above the ground. In order to see it you must climb up a stairway which is about 40 feet high." It has some outstanding examples of petroglyphs. "Atlatl Rock is located near the west entrance of the park. Atlatl Rock has some very nice examples of ancient Indian petroglyphs, including a depiction of the atlatl, a notched stick used to throw primitive spears.
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