Cupule Cave

While on a trip with the late great Roger Mitchell, we stopped to visit a little boulder cave in the Mojave Desert. The cave is only a few feet long, but a large, flat granite boulder is in the center. Its surface is covered with cupules and edges polished smooth by the touch of many hands over a long period of time. It is amazing to think of how many hands must have touched this rock to get it this smooth.

The cave borders the territory of the Mohave, Southern Paiute, Chemehuevi, and older cultures like the Anasazi. It’s not clear who made the pictographs or cupules or why. It appears to be a ceremonial site, but the symbols' meaning here remains a mystery.


No directions to this site. Please enjoy my photos.