[7] The largest human figure is 171 feet (52 m) long, while the smallest is 95 feet (29 m) long. The Blythe Intaglios or Blythe Geoglyphs are a group of gigantic figures found on the ground near Blythe, California in the Colorado Desert. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. According to the Mohave and Quechans, natives to the lower Colorado River area, the human figures represent Mastamho, the Creator of all life, BLM said on its website. [7] From this understanding, the figures portray mythic characters, and are often found where mythic events are thought to have occurred. It measures 105.6 feet from head to toe. Blythe Intaglios (Images: Google Maps) BLM manages the land . The Blythe Intaglios, situated in three locations, contain three abstract human shapes, two four-legged animals resembling horses, a spiral figure thought to be a coiled serpent, various geometric lines, and a dance ring that is 140 feet in diameter. What it means, is that someone suggested the location and provided evidence or a personal account, and/or we found corroborating evidence from other sources. This pin marks two figures. The intaglios are best viewed from the air. [1] The intaglios are found east of the Big Maria Mountains, about 15 miles (24 km) north of downtown Blythe, just west of U.S. Highway 95 near the Colorado River. The figures are so immense that many of them were not observed by non-Indians until the 1930s. [1] Trails lead to the intaglios and rock alignments and rock cairns are often near the intaglios. The interest in the Blythe intaglios led to the search for and discovery of more desert intaglios. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Close. If the quadruped figures represent horses (reintroduced in North America by the Spanish) then a historical date would be supported. Sharp, J.W. [2] The largest human figure in the Blythe Intaglio group is 171 feet (52m) long. The Mojave people have denied knowing the origin of the Topock Maze.[12]. and reservations. Blythe Intaglios. [2] Jay von Werlhof and his collaborators obtained 13 AMS radiocarbon dates for the figures, ranging from 900 BCE to 1200 CE. It is your responsibility to get permission, if needed, before visiting any location listed on this site. Bryan graduated with a Bachelor of Art in History from Suffolk University and has a background in museum volunteering and as well as working with childrens groups at the Museum of Science and the National Park Service. - Wikipedia, Ancient human, animal, and geometric figures drawn in the earth, Ley Lines, Vortex, Magnetic Current:Lost Civilizations & Forgotten History, Blythe Intaglios: The Impressive Anthropomorphic Geoglyphs of the Colorado Desert. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. The animal figures represent Hatakulya, one of two mountain lions/persons who helped in the Creation. Ron Kilber's Logbook - Geoglyphs of the SW Desert. (928) 317-3200. Since we cant currently pinpoint who did this, we will add this to our workload queue to determine if/how the area will be reclaimed, Cannon said. [5], No Colorado River Native American group has claimed to have made the intaglios, although some have claimed to use them. [1] These intaglios are mostly located along the Colorado River. Or if you prefer, you can park along Hwy . von Werlhof, Jay, Harry Casey, Ronald I. Dorn, and Glenn A. Jones. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. The Bureau of Land Management erected fences in 1974 to protect the intaglios and the Blythe Intaglios were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Similar intaglios, named the Ripley Group, were found nearby in Arizona across the Colorado River from Ripley, California.[2]. A Native American land-preservation area just north of Blythe on Hwy 95, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. A third figure is due west 1700 feet, and two more about 2500 feet southwest. The geoglyphs depict drawings of humans, animals, objects, and geometric shapes, all of which can be seen from the air. The intaglios are found east of the Big Maria Mountains, about 15 miles (24 km) north of downtown Blythe, just west of U.S. Highway 95 near the Colorado River. Ivar the Boneless was likely the son of legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, and raided alongside his father and brothers, eventually becoming ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. Locally, there are more than 200 intaglios, most of which are within walking distance of the Colorado River, however, the Blythe . We do this so other visitors to the site can send us their opinion on the validity of the vortex claim, to build a consensus. An historical marker (No. Intaglios are a specific type of geoglyph or ground drawing created by scraping away layers of rocks to reveal the soil underneath. All rights reserved. Blythe Intaglios. The Blythe Intaglios or Blythe Geoglyphs are a group of gigantic figures found on the ground near Blythe, California in the Colorado Desert. That award belongs to someone at AO staff. The largest of the intaglios depicts a male figure or giant, measuring 171 feet. All images Stephen Alvarez, Blythe Intaglios, Geoglyphs of the Lower Colorado River. On the left is a fenced dirt road that quickly leads to the Intaglios 1/4 mile west. The desert figures are very similar to those carved on the Nazca Plains in Peru. In fact, the figures are so difficult to see from the ground that it wasnt until 1932, when a pilot happened to look down and notice them, that they were rediscovered by modern society. Edward Curtis reported in 1908 that, "The Mohave Indians near by have utilized the area in recent years, as a maze into which to lure and escape evil spirits, for it is believed that by running in and out through one of these immense labyrinths, one haunted with a dread may bewilder the spirit occasioning it, and thus elude them. Google Maps Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Paramotor over Intaglios, Geoglyphs in the Desert, American Nazca, AmericanParagliding.com. Other intaglios depict mountain lions, birds, snakes and unidentified zoomorphic and geometric shapes. would they be obviously ( Google Maps ). Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This view of the Ripley Group emphasizes the closeness of the Colorado River. Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. This would date these back a lot earlier than the Establishment is ever willing to accept. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. [1] The figures are so immense that many of them were not observed by non-natives until the 1930s. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. A historical marker commemorates the site. Coppens, Phillip. The ground drawings or geoglyphs were created by humans for an, as yet, unknown reason. As western people we are used to thinking of art as a finished product. The Blythe geoglyphs were first discovered on November 12th, 1931 by army air corps pilot George Palmer while flying from the Hoover Damn to Los Angeles. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? But the new images 8 News Now took Monday now show a smiling face. Altschul, Jeffrey H., and Joseph A. Ezzo. California, There isn't much signage, but you can read about the Blythe Intaglios on BLM's website. The Blythe Intaglios of California are the best known of the hundreds of geoglyphs in the American West.. Blythe Intaglios in 2020 Blythe Intaglios in 1932. Before the Colorado river was damned and diverted to water the American Southwest, periodic spring floods would have turned the valley into a virtual inland sea. (928) 317-3200. However, a satellite photo taken in Dec. 2022 shows the head with a sad face with downturned lips. Yuma Field Office The entrance to the intaglios/geoglyphs is a gravel road on the west side of the highway. In 1952, the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution sent a team of archaeologists to explore the intaglios, and an article appeared in the September issue of National Geographic with aerial photos. Leska, Amy. The rock structure has even earned a name on Google maps from an anonymous contributor. About 15 miles north of Blythe, California, on California State Route 95. The Blythe Intaglios is a collection of giant incised geoglyphs/pictographs, located near Blythe in the Colorado Desert of the United States. It would take another five years for the geoglyphs to be restored and fences erected in order to protect them from vandalism and damage. If nothing else, the Blythe Glyphs are an expression of Native American art form and provide a window into the artistic abilities of the era. Since geoglyphs are difficult to date, it is impossible to know the age of when they were made, but they are estimated to be between 450 to 2,000 years old. At what altitude is optimal for viewing these? An official website of the United States government. Read more on Yelp, "Dark side of the moon" or "Little hands" by SCI. Accessed May 3, 2015. http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_yumans.html. The best known of these are located west of the Colorado River, about 15 miles north of Blythe, California, on two low mesas. The other human figures are slightly smaller but all are more than 100 feet in length. The largest human figure measures 171 feet from head to toe and its not known how old it is, only that its age is between 450 and 2,000 years old. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times Fort Mojave tribal elder Nora McDowell said the ancient figures are a reminder of who we are.. [7] His find led to a survey of the area in the same year by Arthur Woodward, Curator of History and Anthropology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The keruk included the re-enactment of the creator's death and the recognition of the people who had died since the last keruk. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Looking for a weekend rock art get away? Boma Johnson, an archeologist for the Bureau of Land Management in Yuma, Arizona said he could not "think of a single [intaglio example] where [a person] could stand on a hill and look at [an intaglio in its entirety]. Today, the Blyth Intaglios rank among the largest of Californias Native American drawings and the likelihood of discovering similar, hidden geoglyphs out in the desert still remains a possibility. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. [1] The Colorado Desert contains the only known desert intaglios in North America. The temperature reached Read more on Yelp, Worth a stop if you're driving Hwy 95. With the largest human figure coming in at 167 feet long, they are difficult to see from ground level and are best viewed from a helicopter. Offer subject to change without notice. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blythe_Intaglios&oldid=1129526785. But here we have images that cant be seen in their entirety by the people making them. However, newer research by the University of California, Berkeley has dated them to around 900 AD. About 15 miles north of Blythe, California, on California State Route 95. [14] Chain link fences surround several of the figures.[15]. Simply put, we dont know. Accessed May 3, 2015. http://www.philipcoppens.com/intaglios.html. The Ancient Art Archive. By doing this they would leave the devil behind them. Nice way to stretch your legs. Similar intaglios, named the Ripley Group, were found nearby in Arizona across the Colorado River from Ripley, California. The Blythe Intaglios are situated in the barren landscape of the Colorado Desert ( Google Maps ). Built to Last: The Secret that Enabled Roman Roads to Withstand the Passage of Time, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, The Works of Old Men: Geoglyphs of the Middle East, Children helped build mysterious 6,000-year-old moose geoglyph in Russia, The mysterious prehistoric geoglyph of the Paracas Candelabra, http://www.philipcoppens.com/intaglios.html, http://www.weirdus.com/states/california/ancient_mysteries/blythe_intaglios/, http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_yumans.html, http://ronkilber.tripod.com/geoglyphs/SWAviator.htm, http://www.americanparagliding.com/intaglios06/. Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswhlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke. So just a short distance out the lonely road you find pull-offs and paths to view the geoglyphs. 40 Blythe Intaglios Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Video FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 40 Blythe Intaglios Premium High Res Photos Browse 40 blythe intaglios stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Theories range from a couple of hundred years up to 10,000 years old. Like the Nazca figures, both cover a vast area, include animal figures, and were made similarly by scraping off the top level of rocks. Their age is in between 450 and 2,000 years old. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Legends Of The Oracle Of Delphi At The Centre Of The World, Ancient Animal Bone Ice Skates Found in Chinas Birthplace of Skiing, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Red Taj Mahal and the Dutch Hessings of India, Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? "Yuman." Here in the Las Vegas valley, the geoglyph creating buzz was created no more than five years ago. [7] However, it is unclear whether the Topock Maze was created by Native Americans. Feb. 28, 2023 (KLAS). [1] Ethnographer Boma Johnson has tried to place the figures in context of Yuman oral history and cosmology. Posted by 7 years ago . Their age is inbetween 450 and 2,000 years old. The Blythe Intaglios, situated in three locations, contain three abstract human shapes, two four-legged animals resembling horses, a spiral figure thought to be a coiled serpent, various geometric lines, and a dance ring that is 140 feet in diameter. Often, the head and/or one or more arms of the figure will not have been represented at all. A subreddit for anything and everything to do with Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Street View. The images seem to be related to tribal narratives related to creation. Drive north 15.5 miles. While you can experience them from the ground, they are best seen from the air. 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