Basic signs and symbols you have found

Shortstack

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Old Dog, you have some of the most interesting pics around. NOBODY could claim this fortified site happened naturally.......................except maybe SWR and I've got him/her on "ignore" anyway. :thumbsup:

Was this site close to a working prospect? Just curious and I'd understand if you want to kept that info close to your vest. Gathering those stones and arranging them took a h--- of a lot of WORK.

Please keep sharing your sign finds with us cause I learn something from every one. I wish I had something like this to share with others on this thread, but I haven't been working this area of search / research before. I saw a lot of profiles and trail signs from the Interstate highway system in the West and Southwest while truckdriving in the early 1990s, but was not able to do any followups.
 

cw0909

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Dec 24, 2006
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

in old dogs pics of the shelters, i think who ever made it
chipped the ledge, and let the rocks drop down, and maybe
moved a few, for better cover, i dont think they moved the
rocks, from someplace else to that place, they used brain
not much brawn, they used nature to their advantage
i could be wrong, but thats what, it looks like
 

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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May 22, 2007
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

There is one place inside this that goes back almost 20 feet under that overhang.
inside there are places where parts of it were actually walled off to section the interior into rooms.

Shortstack,
this is along the main mule trail coming from the Gunnison River going South along CO141 to Gateway.
Can't see it from the hwy. it is back about 3/4 of a mile on top of the canyon.
It is about 2 miles from the Crossbow site.

The small Bird sign is among some of the signs that are on these facial stones.
 

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Springfield

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

The natives frequently made shelters using natural overhangs with rocks stacked out in front. The location pictured above smacks of a hunting campsite or some such temporary shelter. It would be interesting to know what was down the hill below this site. Smaller, more hidden sites were used as food caches near travel routes, usually with much smaller rocks mortered in place to try to seal out animals. The larger, more secure sites near water evolved into permanent dwellings.

Not long ago, my exploring buddy and I found a similar but much smaller site not far from the old Butterfield Trail high up in a side canyon in the Cookes Range NE of Deming, NM, an active ambush area for the Apache back in the dangerous times. The few front rocks were hastily stacked - just enough room behind them for a couple men on their bellies. Several pieces of flattened lead and a handful of corroded 45-70 casings that we found behind the stacked rocks told the story. No campsite here, but the location of a firefight for these guys - possibly cavalry. No other artifacts or bones were found, so hopefully they walked away.
 

cw0909

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Oh, one thing... If the rock(s) out front do not lend themselves well to chiseled signs because of type of rock , would they revert back to creating shapes from stacked rock or would they just not leave signs?

IDK clay, i think its just a shelter, could be something close by though

old dog would know
 

desertmoons

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Apr 16, 2008
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Wondering if folks thought this might be Spanish or something older.
The writing.
 

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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May 22, 2007
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Here is a scribbled up shot of the front view.
First in red, the trail in and out
Second in blue, note there are no large stones littering the face of the hill in front of the fortification.
I believe they were all collected and lined up in front of the overhang.
Any place else out here when you have a thin overhang like this there are large stones laying about that shows the decay of the ledge in question.
Not here, I have found no other large pile or place they may have neen moved to
 

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Kim,
Some of the writing shows up a little better in the negative.
I'm not sure what it is, I know it isn't natural .
Sure would like to see it clearer.
 

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extractor

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

:read2: good stuff
 

desertmoons

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Apr 16, 2008
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Will have to wait for spring. Too dangerous to get to it now. Thanks :)
 

extractor

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Old Dog said:
Thanks Extractor,
and welcome.
I never caught this thread before It's awsome ! I 'm out in the desert a fair amount and can ad some pictures sometimes as I spot stuff. Extractor.
 

hadji009

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Dec 29, 2008
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

found a cool girraffe and a r and y in center. brent
 

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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May 22, 2007
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

We would enjoy seeing what you have especially if there are s/s,
but it's quite ok if you want to just ask a question.
Lots of good folks here who want nothing more than to help.

I am off to work guys see you Sunday
 

Shortstack

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Jan 22, 2007
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Hey, Desertmoons:
I've cropped your photo from above and marked a couple of things for your consideration. What do you think?


IMG_3473crop Merged.jpg
 

Shortstack

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

hadji009 said:
i think the oriental writing is another deer.

Maybe, but if you zoom in on the photo, you can see it seems to be the shape of a symbol and not an animal. :dontknow:
 

desertmoons

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Apr 16, 2008
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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

I have to chuckle..we are all staying away from that stuff on the right. I just do not know..that left hand figure /symbol/writing is morphing for me and will not settle down.. Both good ideas.
 

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Old Dog

Old Dog

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

desertmoons said:
I have to chuckle..we are all staying away from that stuff on the right. I just do not know..that left hand figure /symbol/writing is morphing for me and will not settle down.. Both good ideas.

even after I swapped it over I had trouble with it.
Think I'll wait for a clear shot.
 

Shortstack

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Re: Basic Spanish signs and symbols you have found

Ok, Desertmoons, here are my ideas for the right side. At first, I thought the 3 figures on the light colored stone in front were "RR7" , but after zooming in, the center figure kinda breaks up and looks more like 2 code marks. :dontknow: The first IS an "R" and the 3rd IS a "7". Further right is a man-figure, an elephant head, and another "R". Those black numbers and figure looks like they MAY be late graffiti.

girraffe_jpg_2 Merged.jpg
 

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