Site 11 to Site 13

Black Cave (S11)
This is a large standard Cave about 500 meters east of the Pez Gallo cave with a northerly perspective that looks out towards the “Island” in the center of the arroyo. Located at 26.74xxx, 111.91xxx and about 50 meters altitude. No art in this cave

The cave is about 20 meters wide, 10 meters high at the mouth, and about 20 meters deep with an exposed rock floor that slopes up towards the rear. The cave interior surfaces are almost totally black, not from smoke but from some mineral discolouration.

This view shows the ‘Island” in the arroyo.

Photo: Black 02

There is an area of the floor about 5 meters by 3 meters, close to the mouth of the cave on the west side that has been cleared of rubble that may have been a sleeping area.
However, the rubble may have been cleared by ranchers in an effort to provide a bedding area for cattle.

Photo: Black 03a

Photo: Black 08 Metate

There are a few shells in the area suggesting a somewhat limited use.
The cave is reached by a scramble up the surrounding loose falda and is best reached from the west side as the east side and directly in front of the cave the terrain includes a vertical drop, some 15 meters to the arroyo floor. There is no sign of a historical trail. There is no art in the cave but there are a significant number of andesite rock shards in two locations at the rear of the cave suggesting that this location may have been used as a source of “edges” . There was one metate at the front of the cave in the forecourt.

Photo: Black 09

In the forecourt is a boulder with a brown coating. A broken-off chip showed the coating to be about 1mm thick. I believe this is another ‘Production Boulder‘ for treating hides and other ‘materials’

Photo: Black 11

Pez Gallo Right (S12)

Pez Gallo Right is the cave on the left of this photo. This is a standard cave at N26.74xxx, W111.91xxx and altitude 55 meters with a northern perspective. It is about 200 meters further west from the Pez Gallo cave and about 20 meters above the arroyo.

The cave on the far right was not explored for some reason.

Photo Pez Rt 00

Dimensions are about 15 meters wide, 3 meters high and 5 meters deep.

Photo Pez Rt 02

There was a water seep or Yani in the right rear of the cave that was wet when explored

There was no ‘art’ in the cave but there were a few boulders that had splashes of red colour on them. When enhanced they failed to reveal any recognizable form.

Photo Pez Rt 04

No art, no shells, no metates in this cave which is surprising considering its proximity to the Pez Gallo site and its relatively easy access from the arroyo floor.


Curved Shelter (S13)
This shelter is located at N26.74xxx. W111.91xxx and altitude 93 meters. It is on the south side of the valley about 2/3km further west from Pez Gallo.

This shelter is about 20 meters wide, 5 meters high and 3 meters deep with a northwest perspective. No clear art only smudges of red and black colour, no shells, no metates in this cave.

This shelter is reached by a rough scramble over the increasingly steep falda. There are water catchment tinajas in the arroyo immediately below.

Interesting red circle

Not too often have I come across art with predominantly Black colouring in it. There is another cave about 100 meters further to the west with no art in it either.