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Archaeoastronomy & Ancient Sky Knowledge
Pond Cave Site
A cave high on the hill above a prolific spring that feeds into a pond has several exciting petroglyphs. The petroglyphs inside the cave are of a bird, and various human profiles are depicted. A set of triangles is carved prominently in a lower area of the cave, which has significance during the winter solstice. A carved deer inside the cave is the first petroglyph that the shadow of a large human head interacts with at sunrise on the Winter Solstice. As the sun appears over the horizon, the light enters the cave, and the outside entrance has been shaped to create the shadow of the profile of a human head, and the deer petroglyph fits inside the open mouth of the shadow. Was this a way of giving thanks for food? Or asking to have enough food to eat through the harsh winter months? This could have some ritual observance as well.
During the next part of the alignment, as the sun rises higher, the shadow moves and takes the shape of a large bird of prey. At this point, the triangles are used and appear in the bird's open mouth!
Figure 9 The triangle petroglyphs can be seen in the shadow of the bird’s open mouth!
The next significant part of the shadow display is a canine figure that emerges in shadow out of the west side of the cave. The canine figure advances out of the lower part of the cave and grows more prominent as it moves. The nose of the shadow interacts with the petroglyphs as it moves. There are man-made holes that the nose of the shadow reaches at about five-minute intervals.
Figure 11 Wayne and Crystal Trickle stand beside the large canine shadow on the winter Solstice.
Figure 12 Pond cave petroglyphs outside cave.
Figure 13 Pond cave petroglyphs outside cave.
