“Autumn Equinox Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Sites”

Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Autumn Equinox Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Sites” with archaeologist Allen Dart will depart on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. from near Silverbell Rd. and Linda Vista Blvd., Marana. This tour will end 12:00 p.m. noon.

The 2023 autumn equinox occurs on September 23 at 12:50 am Arizona/Mountain Standard Time (same as Pacific Daylight Time; Sept. 23, 6:50 am Greenwich Mean Time). To celebrate the equinox day (but not the exact time!) and explore ancient people’s recognition of equinoxes and other calendrical events, 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.

There is a $35 requested donation ($28 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and Friends of S’edav Va’aki Museum members) helps 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 pm Thursday September 21, whichever is earlier: 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

Flyer: 20230923(v1)LosMorteros&PictureRocksAutumnEquinoxTourFlyer

Caption: Equinox “sun dagger” on spiral petroglyph at Picture Rocks site, Pima County, Arizona, photo by Tom Herrick