subject: Minnesota Tours - Jeffers Petroglyphs: The Oldest Continuously Used Sacred Site in the World [print this page] Minnesota Tours - Jeffers Petroglyphs: The Oldest Continuously Used Sacred Site in the World
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Sacred Canvas
Amidst the vast prairie lands of Southwest Minnesota lies a series of oddities, both of geology and of history. Huge outcroppings of ancient rock rise just above the grass and lay flat as if an artist's canvas were laid upon the ground. This bedrock, known as Sioux quartzite, lay under the earth for millennia before they were slowly thrust upward by geologic forces only to be shaved back down to their current condition by the mile-thick glaciers of the last ice age. These rough-polished rocks became, quite literally, the canvas of Native American artists, who used the rocks to carve their historical and cultural histories.
The Petroglyphs: Older Than the Pyramids
A petroglyph is defined as a carving or inscription on a rock. Petroglyphs are different from pictographs, or paintings on a rock, in that while pictographs tend to survive only in caves or other areas that are sheltered from weathering, petroglyphs stand the test of time: even on the open plains.
The Jeffers Petroglyphs in Southwestern Minnesota, carved by pre and post European contact Native Americans allow us a rare view into the very distant past and history of these great peoples. Many of the roughly 2,000 know rock carvings were there before Stonehenge was built, even before the Pharaohs ordered the construction of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. The earliest carvings, dated from 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, record the historic events, parables and prayers of Native Americans. The most recent carvings, dated a mere 150-250 years ago, make the Jeffers Petroglyphs perhaps the oldest continuously used sacred site in the world. The petroglyphs are not the etchings of one particular tribe, but rather represent the different carving styles and cultural traditions of numerous indigenous peoples across the North American Continent.
Geology of the Petroglyphs
Some of the site's natural characteristics can confuse visitors unaware of its geologic past. Ripples in the rock represent ancient wave activity that took place over half a billion years ago and look similar to the wave marks left in the sand of many lakes. More confusing still are the polygon figures you'll find in the rock. These are not the carvings of ancient Native Americans, but stem from the same processes of water erosion that created the ripple effects. The Jeffers rocks also contain innumerable parallel grooves. While the grooves may look man made, they're actually the striations left behind during the last glacial advance some 12,000 to 14,000 years ago.
Virgin Tall Grass Prairie
The Jeffers site is adjacent to one of the best examples of a true tall-grass prairie in Minnesota. Before the agricultural boom brought forth by the area's first European inhabitants, Minnesota was home to the very Northeastern edge of a tall grass prairie covering 400,000 square miles, about 2 times the size of California. Today, less than 1% of the original prairie remains. Of the 160 acres that are part of the Jeffers site, 33 acres are true virgin prairie, which was never plowed. Forty-seven acres were part of one of the first prairie restoration programs in Minnesota, and the last 80 acres are being restored right now. Jeffers is home to the Prairie Bush Clover, an endangered legume found only in the tall grass prairie region of the Midwest. The site is home to the largest single population of the Prairie Bush Clover in the world.
Jeffers Buffalo Rub
The area's rocks have been worn down over eons by water, wind and ice, but in the northwest area of the Jeffers site, a strange and unexpected form of erosion occurred. There is a single spot where the ground sank, exposing a vertical wall of Sioux Quartzite to the elements and to the local wildlife. This exposed, vertical outcropping of rock was eventually discovered by bison travelling through the area, which used it to rub their coats. During the spring, it was used to shed their thick winter coats, but any other time of year it was used to remove parasites. Over time, thousands, perhaps millions of bison continuously rubbed this single rock until it became as smooth as glass.
Tourist Information
Located near Comfrey, Minnesota, The Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when the Minnesota State Historical Society provides a visitor center and guided tours. The hours of operation are Mondays, as well as Thursdays through Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from noon to 5pm. The site offers a sheltered picnic area, and touring the site can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours or more. The 160-acre site features a short nature trail, which is approximately of a mile, and a long nature trail, which is approximately 1 miles. At 3pm each day you can take advantage of a site interpreter using special tools to give the illusion of late day light angles, while the interpreter gives the background about the importance and meaning of the petroglyphs. We highly recommend attending this presentation.
