Site 1 - Riverside Outcrop Cupules, Cherokee Co., NC
October 2022 (Site 31CE735)
This riverside rock outcrop contains scores of cupules and at least one bedrock mortar.
It's been very dry; several of these rocks would be underwater with normal water flows.
|
 |
River-side cupule outcrop, Rock A
|
 |
Rock A from another angle
This shows more of a side view than the previous shot.
|
 |
Rock A - Cupule details
|
 |
Rock A - Cupule details
|
 |
One more view looking down on Rock A
This rock would be underwater if it hadn't been so dry for the past couple of months.
|
 |
Rock B
This cupule grouping includes a mortar, about 3" diam. and 4" deep.
|
 |
Rock C1
|
 |
Rock C2
|
 |
Rock D
There were also several other rocks at this outcrop with
small numbers of cupules, which I didn't include here.
|
Site 2 - Creek Rock-Outcrop Cupules, Macon Co., NC
November 2022 (Site 31MA722)
There are about 25 cupules on this rock outcrop, situated in the middle of a swift flowing creek.
|
 |
Cupule rock-outcrop, in the middle of the creek.
|
 |
Cupules pecked into the rock.
|
 |
Cupules - Group A
|
 |
Cupules - Group B. Also, note the grooved line.
This creek is currently at the lowest level it has seen in
years, and yet these cupules are right at the water line.
They would be underwater most of the time.
|
 |
Cupules - Group C
|
 |
A pair of cupules - Group D
|
 |
There were also several single isolated cupules on the rock outcrop.
To this day, no one really knows the purpose of this most common form of rock art. For some reason, about 75% of these cupule rocks (in the Southeast, at least) are found in or alongside a creek or river. It is thought that they may have played a part in some Native American cultural ritual.
|
