Garden Canyon Pictographs

Garden Canyon -
Fort Huachuca, Arizona

www2.nau.edu/~sw-ptry/rockartbiblio/Apache3.htm

" Altschul, Jeffery H., Marie Cottrell, Clement W. Meighem, and Ronald H. Tower "

"" 1993 The Garden Project: Studies at Two Rockshelters at Fort Huachuca, Southeastern Arizona. Statistical Research, Tucson, Arizona.

All rock art located in Garden Canyon was painted. Tabulation of the elements can be seen on Table 1.1 of page 1-11. Apache Councilman Ernest Victor Jr. identified the crown dancer (Altschul et al. 1993:Discussion of Individual Elements). Apache informants identified large bird figures at Garden Canyon as being golden eagles because of their barred tails that are over 2 meters long and have a religious significance. The birds are white and over lay red figures that are interpreted to be small human figures with elaborate head-dresses. Within Apache rock art, “dry charcoal line drawings and painting are common, and although a range of colors occurs, a heavy black pigment is characteristic” (Altschul et al.1993:Squence of Dating). Apache rock art is found in regions east of Fort Huachuca to Hueco Tanks in Texas. The rock art is found throughout the Coronado National Forest. Common elements of the Apache rock art style include: horses and riders, shields, bison, snakes, lizards, masks, “thunderbirds”, hourglass designs, and small unidentifiable animals. Kachina masks are common in Apache style as well. The Garden Canyon Pictograph Site was used as a place of religious importance to the Apaches (Altschul et al. 1993:Conclusion: Uses and Meaning). There is no proof of residential or domestic usage at the site. ""