![]() They are all pecked into volcanic basalt rock. Owens Valley has thousands of ancient petroglyphs dispersed over the landscape. The images and designs have deeply worn grooves I can trace with my fingers. The petroglyphs were pecked through this coating to reveal the white dolomite marble underneath. A patina of mineralization over the aged “desert varnish” coats these rocks. Ancient Wave MarkingsĬlusters of boulders appear on my left. Flat rocks nearby are pock-marked with erosion from the waves. Fifteen-thousand years ago, this outcropping was on the shores of Owens Lake. It reminds me of the stones pounded by waves at the Pacific Ocean beaches of Dana Point, California, near our family home. View of dry Owens Lake with Sierra Nevada MountainsĪs I climb higher up the ridge, clusters of highly polished gravel appear before me. The lake dried up into arid acres of playa and toxic dust. Since 1913, Los Angeles Water and Power (LADWP) has diverted the streams and rivers that once fed the lake into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. I catch my breath and look back at Owens Lake, which used to be filled with melting glacier water from overflowing lakes to the north and was once 600 feet deep. Ascent is difficult because of loose rocks and gravel. Walking around the quarry to the other side, I climb the steep slope of a prominent ridge. Maybe if I climb up behind the ridge, I can orient myself and the landscape to this photograph. The photo was taken from a higher elevation. Holding a photograph of a panel of ancient petroglyphs that are supposed to be at the Swansea site, I persist in this search, matching the image with landmarks on the brown, barren slopes of the Inyo Mountains. ![]() Where would the petroglyphs be? I study the smooth face of the cliff for figures and geometric shapes pecked into the marble. The marble is laced with purple and black veins of mineral. Yes, these rocks have been manually chiseled and cut loose. I see huge chunks of marble rock, exposing a high, sheer cliff. Parking at a turn-out, I walk across the road for a closer look. Ahead of me, on the left side of the highway, is a partially excavated ridge. There was some mention of an old marble quarry at the base of the Inyo Mountains. Directions from research sources have been intentionally vague to protect the site from vandals. I have tried to find this site during several previous visits, but no luck. I am searching for the Swansea Petroglyphs, named for the 1880s silver-smelting town on the northern edge of Owens Lake. A brilliant orange sun rising out of Death Valley rests on the highway directly in front of me, making for difficult driving. A winter storm hit the Eastern Sierra with snow, rain, and strong winds yesterday. The road ahead will be blocked because of torrential monsoonal rains in August that wiped out most of the highways within Death Valley National Park. Dense, frigid air seeps into the car as I drive east on Highway 136 toward Death Valley.
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