Content including photographs are Copyright © 2016 - Present - Don & Linda Gilmore
Contact us via E-mail

Ancient Survey Markers

What are these unique Petroglyphs?

Location Markers

In The Desert

After seeing 2 of the "glyphs" in the desert in person and seeing another 30 photographs of them, we've decided that they might be some kind of "Location/Survey Marker". What for is still a mystery! No one has come up with an explanation that holds true for all of the ones we've seen photos of. Maybe they were territory markers?

Little Creek Mesa

These trips are always fun, no matter what you do or do not find. You could spend years here on this mesa and not see it all.

Our opinion is certainly not to be taken as the absolute truth. However, in our opinion, we have also decided that they are not "Waterglyphs" marking the location of water sources, or for the location of treasure. Back when the Ancient Peubloans and Basket Maker cultures were here they certainly already knew the water source locations, they needed those water sources for survival and other uses, like making pottery. Who would they make these Water Locations for, if they already knew where they were?

Trip to Little Creek Mesa

Back to
Part 1

Cup and Channel Petroglyphs

Michael Terlep, M. A. in Anthropology and R.P.A. (Register of Professional Arhaeologists) analysis of Cup and Channel Petroglyphs from the Arizona Strip.
Some of his other papers can be found HERE

We've spent many years researching and traveling all over Little Creek Mesa in search of Ancient Peubloan (Anasazi) relics, pit houses, granaries, crop growing areas, and artifacts. We've found many during this time and find it interesting. It seems this is one of the major Anasazi communities to be found west of the Four Corners area. They must have liked it here for a number of reasons. So it was naturally our quest to see if they left these peculiar "Location Glyphs" here on this mesa after finding one on Lost Spring Mesa. They in fact left more then one on Little Creek Mesa and maybe more on Lost Spring Mesa. See more about our trip below!

There is still more to be found on Little Creek Mesa and Lost Spring Mesa.

Back to Part 1

Take only Photographs!
Leave only Footprints!

You will need a PDF reader to view this document. If you don't have a PDF reader, then here are links to two common ones you can dowload, they are free.

Adobe PDF viewer ---

Foxit PDF viewer ---

Water, Pitch, and Prehistoric Indexes:
An Analysis of Cup and Channel Petroglyphs from the Arizona Strip

Open Michael Terlep's PDF

A Professional Analysis

Waterglyph, Cup and Channel Petroglyph, Location Marker

Back to
Part 1

Please, carefully read this BLM sign. The fines have been dramatically increased for anyone caught damaging these archaeological resources. Please take care of them so others may also see these old relics and be able to enjoy them.

Dan & Lynn were able to climb up onto this rock formation, thus they became our photographers on this trip. They did a great job.

Here's the petroglyph we were searching for. It is different in appearance from others we've seen. Lynn was standing next to it for a size comparison. This photo was slightly enhanced for better detail.

Dan took this photo of Zion and what the surrounding area looked like. There are a lot of high elevation rock formations here, with views over the tree tops.

Linda took us to the western edge of the mesa to try and locate more of these glyphs. Unfortunately we didn't find anymore.

One of the neat things about this mesa is all the unusual rock formations to be found.

We did get some great views, looking toward St. George, Utah. The road below is the Honeymoon Trail.

And of course petroglyphs like this long snake and spider glyph here on this flat surface.

Lava rock with a soft sandstone center. See the enlargement for more detail.

A very interesting paper, with photos of other glyphs!
Many thanks to Michael Terlep for sharing this paper for publication here!
If you reference this paper, please cite Michael Terlep.