Picture Rock Pass Petroglyphs Site
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Petroglyphs near summit of Picture Rock Pass
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Location | Lake County, Oregon, USA |
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Coordinates | 43°02′49″N 120°47′53″W / 43.047°N 120.798°W |
Built | Unknown |
Architectural style | Prehistoric rock art |
NRHP reference # | 75001585 |
Added to NRHP | 1975 |
The Picture Rock Pass Petroglyphs Site is in northern Lake County, Oregon, United States. The site is located near the summit of Picture Rock Pass on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The designs were scraped into a basalt boulder by ancient Native Americans, probably between 7,500 and 12,000 years ago. No one knows the meaning of the petroglyph designs. Because of its unique archaeological and cultural significance, the Picture Rock Pass Petroglyph Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Following the retreating glaciers of the last glaciation period of the Ice Age, melt water accumulated in the closed basins of what now is south central Oregon. As a result, pluvial lakes covered much of the high desert. This included the Summer Lake basin south of Picture Rock Pass and the Silver Lake basin north of the pass. The marshes and meadows that surrounded these lakes were ideal habitat for wildlife including bison, deer, antelope, mountain sheep, and many varieties of waterfowl. The abundant wildlife drew prehistoric hunters to the area.
No one knows when the first people arrived in south central Oregon. However, there is evidence that Native Americans have lived in this area for over 12,000 years. Little is known about the people who occupied the land at that time, except that they camped and hunted near the ancient lakes around Picture Rock Pass. This was confirmed by Clovis Period artifacts found at Fort Rock Cave and Paisley Caves. These archeological sites are both close to the pass. Fort Rock Cave is located 29 miles (47 km) north of the pass while the Paisley Caves are 20 miles (32 km) south of the pass, overlooking Summer Lake. In addition to leaving artifacts in caves, the area's early inhabitants created rock carvings at sites throughout south central Oregon including Picture Rock Pass.