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Autumn Equinox Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Sites
September 22, 2021 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
On Wednesday, September 22, 2021, join Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Autumn Equinox Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Sites” with archaeologist Allen Dart. Participants will meet and depart from near Silverbell Road and Linda Vista Blvd. in Marana, Arizona at 8:00 a.m.
The 2021 autumn equinox occurs on September 22 at 12:21 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (7:21 p.m. GMT). To celebrate the equinox archaeologist Allen Dart (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s executive director) leads this tour to Los Morteros, an ancient village site that includes a Hohokam ballcourt, bedrock mortars, and other archaeological features; and to Picture Rocks, where ancient petroglyphs include a solstice and equinox calendar marker, dancing human-like figures, whimsical animals, and other rock symbols made by Hohokam Indians between 800 and 1100 CE. An equinox calendar petroglyph at Picture Rocks exhibits a specific interaction with a ray of sunlight on the morning of each equinox regardless of the hour and minute of the actual celestial equinox, so participants in this tour will see that sunlight interaction with the calendar glyph unless clouds block the sunlight.
This tour program is from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The requested donation of $30 ($24 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and Friends of Pueblo Grande Museum members) helps to cover Old Pueblo’s tour expenses and supports its education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures. Donations are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5 p.m. Monday September 20, whichever is earlier: 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.
Photo caption: Photo by Tom Herrick of equinox “sun dagger” on spiral petroglyph at Picture Rocks site, Pima County, Arizona.
Flyer: 20210922(v1)LosMorteros&PictureRocksAutumnEquinoxTour