Post by hopeful on Jan 7, 2008 21:14:58 GMT -5
To read the entire paper by Kathy Moskowitz Strain, click here.
Excerpts from:
Mayak datat:
An Archaeological Viewpoint of the Hairy Man Pictographs
by Kathy Moskowitz Strain
Editor's Note: This article is based on Kathy Moskowitz' presentation at the International Bigfoot Symposium, September 12-14, 2003, in Willow Creek, California. A DVD collection of the Symposium is available for purchase.
Introduction
Painted Rock is located on the Tule River Indian Reservation, above Porterville, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of central California (Figure 1). This site, also known as CA-TUL-19, is a rockshelter associated with a Native American Yokuts village. The site, located immediately adjacent to the Tule River, includes bedrock mortars, pitted boulders, midden and pictographs. The pictographs are located within the rockshelter, and are painted on the ceiling and walls of the shelter (Figure 2). The pictographs include paintings of a male, female, and child Bigfoot (known as the family), coyote, beaver, bear, frog, caterpillar, centipede, humans, eagle, condor, lizard and various lines, circles, and other geometric designs (Figure 3). The paintings are in red, black, white, and yellow.
..................... 
Figure 1. Location of the Painted Rock Archaeological Site (CA-TUL-19). Figure 2. Overview of Painted Rock.
This rock art site is unique; not only because it contains a Bigfoot pictograph, but also because of the traditional Native American stories that accompany it. There are no other known creation stories involving a Bigfoot-like creature in California. As far as can be determined, there are no Bigfoot creation stories anywhere else in the west. There is also no evidence of any other Bigfoot pictographs. Most states, including California, keep a database of all recorded sites located on federal, state, county, city, or private land. Based on that information, there is no other known Bigfoot pictographs or petroglyphs anywhere in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, or Idaho.
This paper will describe the rock art, the known history of the site, the traditional Yokuts Hairy Man stories, and the association of the rock art with other Penutian language groups.
Pictograph Description
The most dominant pictograph at Painted Rock is that of the Hairy Man, also known as Mayak datat (mi!yak datr!atr!) or sunsunut (shoonshoonootr!) (Figure 4). Hairy Man measures 2.6 meters high by 1.9 meters wide, and is red, black, and white. The picture represents an 8.5-foot high, two-legged creature, with its arms spread out to six feet wide. It has what appears to be long hair and large haunting eyes (Figure 5). The Yokuts identify the lines coming from the eyes as tears (because Hairy Man is sad according to their creation story). The pictograph is in very poor condition due to weathering and vandalism. A Hairy Man petroglyph is present at the site as well. Petroglyphs are very rare in the Sierras.
Figure 3. Family pictograph panel at Painted Rock. From left to right is the “baby” Hairy Man, “mother” Hairy Man, and “father” Hairy Man.
Probably the most unusual feature of this site is the presence of an entire Bigfoot family. Besides the male Hairy Man, there are also a female and child "bigfoot." The mother is 1.8 meters high by 1.2 meters wide, and is solely red (Figure 6). The painting represents a 6-foot high, two-legged creature with her arms open (Figure 7). She has five fingers and little other detail. Immediately adjacent to her, and directly under her right hand, is her child. The child measures 1.2 meters high by 1 meter wide and is also solely red (Figure 8). The painting represents a 4-foot high, two-legged creature with small arms and five fingers. The figure has an unusually rounded head, suggestive of a sagittal crest (Figure 9).
Clewlow (1978) estimated that the paintings were made around A.D. 500, but could be as old as A.D. 1 or as young as AD. 1200 (2000 to 700 years old). Latta (1949) noted that year-round occupied villages were placed at important places, either where paintings were or at some place where Indian ceremonies were performed. Archaeologically, the village at Painted Rock was occupied in the late prehistoric, around 500 years ago. Since it is believed that the paintings were present prior to the village, the paintings are likely 500-1000 years old.
Ethnographic History of Painted Rock
The Yokuts Tribe occupied the San Joaquin Valley and foothills of California (Figure 10). The band of the Yokuts that lived at Painted Rock were called the O-ching'-i-ta, meaning the "People of Painted Rock". A village at Painted Rock was called Uchiyingetau, which means "markings." Painted Rock itself was called Hocheu (Powers 1877).
Figure 4. Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 5. Line drawing of the Hairy Man pictograph.
The Tule River Indian Reservation was established in 1873 on 54,116 acres. The reservation lands are heavily timbered and include several Giant Sequoia Groves. The reservation is surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest system lands. It is rare for an Indian tribe to own a site they believe they were created at, and records seem to imply that the location of the reservation was chosen to incorporate Painted Rock for that reason.
Painted Rock is first described by Mallery in 1889. Mallery (1889) stated that the paintings were "famous and well-known in the area." He described the paintings as created by being pecked, painted, and then pecked again to ensure a "long lasting effect." Mallery also described the Coyote Eating the Moon, and a large bear-like creature covering one wall. He stated that the locals called the creature, "Hairy Man." Steward noted the paintings in 1929, and stated that a Tribal elder, living at the location in 1900, had identified the large painting as the "Hairy Man."
Figure 6. The "mother" Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 7. Line drawing of the "mother" Hairy Man pictograph.
Latta (1949) detailed the site by stating: "The Indians readily recognize the characters which represent animals, but they offer no other explanation for the geometrical designs and line drawings than to give the Indian name for circle, triangle, square or other common figures. They do identify drawings of. . . a few mythological characters" such as Hairy Man and the Coyote Eating the Moon.
No explanation of what the Yokuts or researchers thought "Hairy Man" was is provided in these early references. Everyone seemed to understand that "Hairy Man" meant just that, "Hairy Man." This is in direct contrast with the Coyote Eating the Moon. A great deal of effort by researchers was spent on trying to identify the reason Coyote was Eating the Moon, and what humans did to deserve such a fate. Latta (1936) stated that he thought Hairy Man was maybe related to the "Giant of Ah-wah-Nee" stories, but that idea was not accepted.
Figure 8. The "baby" Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 9. Line drawing of the "baby" Hairy Man pictograph.
Finally, in 1973, Hairy Man was associated with the "white" term of "Big Foot" and since then, it has been accepted that Hairy Man and Bigfoot are and have always been the same creature. Johnstone (1975) noted that Hairy Man had always been described by the Yokuts as "a creature that was like a great big giant with long, shaggy hair" and since Bigfoot also meets that description, the two are the same.
[...][For Traditional Native American Stories Regarding Hairy Man click on the link at the top of the page or read them in our "Bigfoot science" section.]
Conclusion
To summarize, the following are important points presented in this article:
The presence of a Bigfoot pictograph and numerous stories in the Yokuts culture is not only unique, but also significant to North American Great Ape research. By analyzing traditional Native knowledge and stories of Bigfoot, it helps establish that this creature was not created by "white culture", but instead is a long-time occupant in these people's lives. Stories and paintings of how the creature looked and behaved are only present in these Native cultures because of direct observation of a flesh and blood creature.
Excerpts from:
Mayak datat:
An Archaeological Viewpoint of the Hairy Man Pictographs
by Kathy Moskowitz Strain
Editor's Note: This article is based on Kathy Moskowitz' presentation at the International Bigfoot Symposium, September 12-14, 2003, in Willow Creek, California. A DVD collection of the Symposium is available for purchase.
Introduction
Painted Rock is located on the Tule River Indian Reservation, above Porterville, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of central California (Figure 1). This site, also known as CA-TUL-19, is a rockshelter associated with a Native American Yokuts village. The site, located immediately adjacent to the Tule River, includes bedrock mortars, pitted boulders, midden and pictographs. The pictographs are located within the rockshelter, and are painted on the ceiling and walls of the shelter (Figure 2). The pictographs include paintings of a male, female, and child Bigfoot (known as the family), coyote, beaver, bear, frog, caterpillar, centipede, humans, eagle, condor, lizard and various lines, circles, and other geometric designs (Figure 3). The paintings are in red, black, white, and yellow.
..................... Figure 1. Location of the Painted Rock Archaeological Site (CA-TUL-19). Figure 2. Overview of Painted Rock.
This rock art site is unique; not only because it contains a Bigfoot pictograph, but also because of the traditional Native American stories that accompany it. There are no other known creation stories involving a Bigfoot-like creature in California. As far as can be determined, there are no Bigfoot creation stories anywhere else in the west. There is also no evidence of any other Bigfoot pictographs. Most states, including California, keep a database of all recorded sites located on federal, state, county, city, or private land. Based on that information, there is no other known Bigfoot pictographs or petroglyphs anywhere in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, or Idaho.
This paper will describe the rock art, the known history of the site, the traditional Yokuts Hairy Man stories, and the association of the rock art with other Penutian language groups.
Pictograph Description
The most dominant pictograph at Painted Rock is that of the Hairy Man, also known as Mayak datat (mi!yak datr!atr!) or sunsunut (shoonshoonootr!) (Figure 4). Hairy Man measures 2.6 meters high by 1.9 meters wide, and is red, black, and white. The picture represents an 8.5-foot high, two-legged creature, with its arms spread out to six feet wide. It has what appears to be long hair and large haunting eyes (Figure 5). The Yokuts identify the lines coming from the eyes as tears (because Hairy Man is sad according to their creation story). The pictograph is in very poor condition due to weathering and vandalism. A Hairy Man petroglyph is present at the site as well. Petroglyphs are very rare in the Sierras.
Figure 3. Family pictograph panel at Painted Rock. From left to right is the “baby” Hairy Man, “mother” Hairy Man, and “father” Hairy Man.
Probably the most unusual feature of this site is the presence of an entire Bigfoot family. Besides the male Hairy Man, there are also a female and child "bigfoot." The mother is 1.8 meters high by 1.2 meters wide, and is solely red (Figure 6). The painting represents a 6-foot high, two-legged creature with her arms open (Figure 7). She has five fingers and little other detail. Immediately adjacent to her, and directly under her right hand, is her child. The child measures 1.2 meters high by 1 meter wide and is also solely red (Figure 8). The painting represents a 4-foot high, two-legged creature with small arms and five fingers. The figure has an unusually rounded head, suggestive of a sagittal crest (Figure 9).
Clewlow (1978) estimated that the paintings were made around A.D. 500, but could be as old as A.D. 1 or as young as AD. 1200 (2000 to 700 years old). Latta (1949) noted that year-round occupied villages were placed at important places, either where paintings were or at some place where Indian ceremonies were performed. Archaeologically, the village at Painted Rock was occupied in the late prehistoric, around 500 years ago. Since it is believed that the paintings were present prior to the village, the paintings are likely 500-1000 years old.
Ethnographic History of Painted Rock
The Yokuts Tribe occupied the San Joaquin Valley and foothills of California (Figure 10). The band of the Yokuts that lived at Painted Rock were called the O-ching'-i-ta, meaning the "People of Painted Rock". A village at Painted Rock was called Uchiyingetau, which means "markings." Painted Rock itself was called Hocheu (Powers 1877).
Figure 4. Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 5. Line drawing of the Hairy Man pictograph.
The Tule River Indian Reservation was established in 1873 on 54,116 acres. The reservation lands are heavily timbered and include several Giant Sequoia Groves. The reservation is surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest system lands. It is rare for an Indian tribe to own a site they believe they were created at, and records seem to imply that the location of the reservation was chosen to incorporate Painted Rock for that reason.
Painted Rock is first described by Mallery in 1889. Mallery (1889) stated that the paintings were "famous and well-known in the area." He described the paintings as created by being pecked, painted, and then pecked again to ensure a "long lasting effect." Mallery also described the Coyote Eating the Moon, and a large bear-like creature covering one wall. He stated that the locals called the creature, "Hairy Man." Steward noted the paintings in 1929, and stated that a Tribal elder, living at the location in 1900, had identified the large painting as the "Hairy Man."
Figure 6. The "mother" Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 7. Line drawing of the "mother" Hairy Man pictograph.
Latta (1949) detailed the site by stating: "The Indians readily recognize the characters which represent animals, but they offer no other explanation for the geometrical designs and line drawings than to give the Indian name for circle, triangle, square or other common figures. They do identify drawings of. . . a few mythological characters" such as Hairy Man and the Coyote Eating the Moon.
No explanation of what the Yokuts or researchers thought "Hairy Man" was is provided in these early references. Everyone seemed to understand that "Hairy Man" meant just that, "Hairy Man." This is in direct contrast with the Coyote Eating the Moon. A great deal of effort by researchers was spent on trying to identify the reason Coyote was Eating the Moon, and what humans did to deserve such a fate. Latta (1936) stated that he thought Hairy Man was maybe related to the "Giant of Ah-wah-Nee" stories, but that idea was not accepted.
Figure 8. The "baby" Hairy Man pictograph. Figure 9. Line drawing of the "baby" Hairy Man pictograph.
Finally, in 1973, Hairy Man was associated with the "white" term of "Big Foot" and since then, it has been accepted that Hairy Man and Bigfoot are and have always been the same creature. Johnstone (1975) noted that Hairy Man had always been described by the Yokuts as "a creature that was like a great big giant with long, shaggy hair" and since Bigfoot also meets that description, the two are the same.
[...][For Traditional Native American Stories Regarding Hairy Man click on the link at the top of the page or read them in our "Bigfoot science" section.]
Conclusion
To summarize, the following are important points presented in this article:
- Hairy Man helped create man and has various other associated stories;
- This belief is exemplified by the creation of a pictograph representing Hairy Man, which closely resembles descriptions of Bigfoot (8.5 feet tall; long shaggy hair; sagittal crest; walks on two feet; and large, powerful, human-like body type);
- The Hairy Man pictograph was noted and called "Hairy Man" by non-Indians in 1889. It is well documented that the painting has been referred to as Hairy Man since 1889 and continuously to modern times;
- Bigfoot behavior is represented in traditional Yokuts stories, including nocturnal hunting, association with Forest environments, wood knocking, whistling, and being an omnivore (animals and plants); and
- Bigfoot is in both Yokuts culture and the Penutian language stock, suggesting a very old source story.
The presence of a Bigfoot pictograph and numerous stories in the Yokuts culture is not only unique, but also significant to North American Great Ape research. By analyzing traditional Native knowledge and stories of Bigfoot, it helps establish that this creature was not created by "white culture", but instead is a long-time occupant in these people's lives. Stories and paintings of how the creature looked and behaved are only present in these Native cultures because of direct observation of a flesh and blood creature.