What’s Your Preference?

jack russell · #1 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 08:37 PM

Hi guys, more from my weekend trip to the Mazinaw .. My excitement is related to the Native Art painted on the big rock face .. many opportunities to play with the camera .. sorry for some of the OOF, I left the tripod at home, so all handheld and most were taken from the boat ... ( and the one from the dock may have had beer involved...)

Here is my main interest, from what I've read the Natives were Algonquin .. I can't nail down the age of the pictographs, but I'll research more .. gauranteed they are at least 500 year old .. I have to go hunting next year, evidently there are 150 + pictographs on the lake, most on the big rock ..

This is the rock from the dock, maybe 1.5 mile or 2 distant .. 260 feet up and 250 down into the lake.. 500 plus feet of pure granite

Here you can see the detail, the rock looks to have been thrust straight out of the earth at an 80 degree angle .. it's awesome ..

And to give you a sense of scale .. a prize goes (not) to the first to pick out 3 small details that helps give it away!

lputman · #2 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 08:44 PM

Wow...I'd love to know the age of the pictographs!

The folks scaling the rock would give way to scale of the rock.

Hayward Taylor · #3 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 08:46 PM

Hi Ian - climbers on the side ... these are stunning ..wow

FoG · #4 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 08:49 PM

Jack these are amazing the climbers took ages to spot (I cheated and checked other answers above in the end) WOW lucky you to have places like this to visit but I simply love the peacefulness to the second image the colurs are gorgeous

jack russell · #5 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lputman

Wow...I'd love to know the age of the pictographs!

The folks scaling the rock would give way to scale of the rock.

And the prize goes to Lori .. here's an excerpt of one article I found ..

THE MAZINAW PICTOGRAPHS

J.S. Harper, a government land-surveyor based in Bytown (Ottawa), was the first to map the Mississippi headwaters scientifically and was probably the first to describe Mazinaw Lake, the Big Rock and its mysterious pictographs. In 1847 he recorded that the now-faded images were colourful enough to be visible several miles away, and that aboriginal peoples in the area 'suppose the paintings were executed before any Indians existed, probably by the presiding spirit of the rock, as they place pieces of tobacco, [pine or spruce] gum etc. in the cavities as presents to his supernatural holiness.'

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward Taylor

Hi Ian - climbers on the side ... these are stunning ..wow

Thx Hayward .. it's an impressive Lake

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoG

Jack these are amazing the climbers took ages to spot (I cheated and checked other answers above in the end) WOW lucky you to have places like this to visit but I simply love the peacefulness to the second image the colurs are gorgeous

Thx FoG .. did you see the sunset in my post yesterday? http://digital-photography-school.co...m-mazinaw.html

jack russell · #6 (**permalink**) 09-22-2009, 11:40 PM

I found some more data on someone's flickr ..

Bon Echo Provincial Park has one of the largest collections of native pictographs in Ontario. Some 260 red ochre rock paintings can be seen at water level along the cliff face. Estimated to be between 300 and a 1,000 years old, their true meaning remains a mystery.
Multiple images are seen on this view, including a canoe and a number of four legged creatures. The most famous, on the top right is the Mishipizheu, or "Great Water Lynx", a powerful water God. He is able to stir up waves and high winds on lakes using his massive tail. First Nations People pray to Mishipizheu for favourable weather during trips across large bodies of water. A tobacco offering cast into the waters under his image will ensure a safe passage.