Native American

Pine Creek Ravine Nature Preserve is located in Southern Illinois, Near Chester. It contains the largest body of prehistoric rock art in Illinois. The Late Woodland and Mississippian people created these petroglyphs and pictographs between 500 AD and 1500 AD. Here are a few examples I photographed today, 10-7-12.

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Pan GH2 Pan 14-45mm

 

I would like to see the Maturango petroglyphs. One of the amazing things about the Piney Creek Ravine rock art is that it is found after about a mile hike through a corn field and then to the bottom of the ravine and the only thing to alert you of the presence of this pre-historic art are a couple of small signs posted by the Illinois DNR. It feels as if you have stepped back in time as you are surrounded by nature and a bubbling stream and you see these magnificent and mysterious rock carvings and drawings. Of course, the remoteness also presents a problem in that there is also a hundred years or more of graffitti scrawled all around the ancient drawings. I saw visitor's signatures dated as far back as 1913 and 1916 on a recent trip. No respect for the ancient souls who inhabit this place. All things considered, it is a wonder the pre-historic art has survived.