Did These Petroglyphs Lead Me To A Secret Passage? 

I'm an old fart with a bum knee, so it's really a pleasure to sit here and trek with you to these incredible places. I love the blue of that sky and the petroglyphs. It's a grand adventure.

I was in big bend national park one year when two ravens did their darndist to get my attentionso i pulled my motorcycle off the road and followed the ravens, they actually took me to the top of a small mesa where I found petroglyphsthey seemed to depict the spot i was at was used for some kind of ceremony. It was a really cool place. I sat down on a rock "bench" that looked ancient too. The ravens finally came and sat with me and cackled and purred to me, one even "preened my arm hairs and fiddledwith my brass bracelet. The spot did not have a path or trail to get to it, so I'm not sure but I think I was at a site that was undiscovered. When you see the mesa from the road it looks impossible to get to the top, but the ravens did show me the way up on the side away from the road, I was heading toward the east park entrance and wasn't far from the triceratops skull fossil, if your familiar with big bend. I just sat up there for around a half hour, then the ravens led me back to my Honda VTX 1800, they said good by and I was back on the road. Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota and Iowa have lots and lots of interesting ancient sites you can visit if you go out and find them.

Mark M. I enjoy your expeditions. If you can get your hands on a book by LaVan Martineau called “The Rocks Begin To Speak”. A great book about Native American rock writings. He was orphaned and then adopted by a family of Shivwits Paiutes in southern Utah. He was a Linguist In the Korean War ie code breaking etc. That was when he became really interested in the rock writing {petroglyghs and pictographs}. It is a nice easy read and he will explain why they are not “big horn sheep” in this video, they are called “quadropeds” and depending on body shape and horn placement and quatity of horns, on if to go certain direction and how easy it is to traverse. And by the way the quadropeds did point you in the right direction to the top. Thanks I will keep watching.

I truly appreciate your walk with reverence. Putting back the objects as found. We so need this approach as nature suffers in travail. One human at a time walking the walk towards a right full future.

My hats off to you for respecting the land and its history. Was so happy to see you replace each small artifact in its exact loctaion. Thank You

Massive respect for you man. Every time I've seen a western with these massive buttes in the background I've wished I could go there, see them and see if there were signs of habitation.. Most of the old westerns depict the indigenous peoples living in tents. Nice to see there were actual permanent settlements. Many many thanks for posting. Be careful on your hikes and best wishes to you.

Thank you for putting the pottery shards back where you found them! I was wondering if you knew about pit houses, as I noticed a couple in this. Those generally indicate Basketweaver into early Pueblo sites. E.g. older sites (generally). Pit houses can be hard to detect unless you know what to look for. Pottery is one indicator of occupation, but (and I'm new to your channel) stone flakes (lithics) are another indicator. You bring back my youth! I haven't lived in the region for decades, but have never lost my love for the high desert and all the cool things one can discover. I was lucky to be on more than one professional dig in the 4 corners area, and it has always kept a place in my heart. I get back to SE Utah every couple of years, and my wife always asks why I am looking down all the time lol.

Your drone flyover clearly showed the pit houses on top, which we couldn't see clearly at ground level. Good find! Would love to see the petroglyphs in more details.

I love the way you are always so careful and respectful of the places you visit and the pottery/buildings etc that you find. Brilliant entertainment for us all too! Thank you (from Scotland!)

Have you noticed especially in this video all of the dark river rounded stone on your approach to the mesa?ALSO the giant rounded mega boulders at the bottom? Ever ask yourself how long it would take for these stones get shaped and polished like this. Those don’t look like the same stone as the mesa. There is a great gold prospector that has a great channel called two toes. He talks a lot about the movement of stones inancient river channels. May be interesting if you linked this video and get feedback on what he sees.

I wonder if, during their time, if that’s where they raised crops 🤔 It would be easy to transfer the maize/corn from there to the grounding areas and storage. Like you said, great visibility so easily defended! (Was there a dried river/creek that you could tell? ) I’m older, and this feels like childhood adventure books seeking lost history✨💖✨ With an EXCEPTIONAL Host! Thank you!

What a discovery and, as yet, unnamed. Respecting the site is admirable. 😊

Thank you for taking us along with you.!!

@10:57, those are post holes carved into the rock.

It's very interesting how you followed the direction of the petroglyphs to find the easiest way up. I never thought of that. I will have to try it next time I'm at my family's favorite canyon that is chock full of petroglyphs. I believe you found a village site. Those pit like depressions are probably the remains of pit houses. Thank you so much for never taking pottery pieces.

I noticed the depressions at the top. I think what you have found maybe is a site of pit houses at the top. There maybe a Kiva but I doubt it. I live in Perryton, Texas and we even find pit houses here at the top of Texas. This is because the Anasazi were originally living here at one time. There is an ancient village site outside of Perryton and it is an archaeological site. I love these videos. Keep them coming!

I found that the smooth, rounded rocks at the base of the mountain very unusual and they looked almost out of place. They looked more like river rocks in comparison to the sandstone higher up on the cliffs. You may be able to see some hatchet/axe heads or other stone tools in this area.

Your level of respect and curiosity is awesome

I love watching your videos and reading the comments, I am in the UK and would never get to see what your sharing if you didn't share. Thank you for sharing your experience and insights with us all . Blessings to You and Your,s.

This butte with its petroglyphs and clearly defined structural pits is just amazing. The architectural and engineering skills of the Ancestral Pueblo people is stunning. I think they were among the first known Thrill Seekers of the Americas. Building structures on cliff ledges is testament to that! The whole area around this ancestral site is amazing. The landscape and scenery are epic. Imagine living up there on top of that butte. The people must have felt like they were on top of the world. Thank you for respecting the sites, artefacts and landscapes of your treks and discoveries.

Thx for also taking this 71 year old along for a walk.

Me: what's the name of that mountain!? Local: that's a butte sir! Me: it sure is!!

I truly enjoy how you RESPECT the places your exploring. Also appreciate how you try not to disturb the land or take things with you. Thank you for sharimg your adventures with us. Be careful, carry a first aide kit. God Bless you

I love your life! Thank you for bringing us along with you. I sometimes wish you would linger a little longer when showing us rock art and pottery shards, so interesting. 😉

A one person entrance was for security/defense, it appears to have been leveled to make the top more livable.

It's so cool to see this! Interesting how the rocks all seem to be rounded. The only thing I know that would create so many round rocks is water. We live next to one of the Great Lakes in the U.S. and rounded rocks are what we find on the shores.

You're my new favorite channel. thanks for sharing your exploratins

That natural ramp is amazing, awesome find!

Another fantastic adventure that I can see from home. I'm amazed how adept you are at climbing these rocky places high up and still filming! Drones really do help us see what we cannot get to by walking/hiking, too. Great trip!

The landscape is amazing, so different than my country Finland 👍🇫🇮

The ancient people would have lookouts up high to look for migrating herds and let the people know to get ready for the hunt by lighting fires on the hill top to let everyone know the herds were near. Love watching you and wish I could go too

I guess this is as good as it gets anymore..watching others do the fun things. LOL But truly your videos reflect "everyman" since, let's face it, you're not an expert at deciphering what you find. It's still a riveting experience to observe as you explore ruins out in the desert. I get my nose right close to the screen to really see those potsherds & petroglyphs with you. Love the drone shots which bring your astonishing finds into a larger perspective. The music is a nice addition, also. Great job! Loving it!

I truly love your videos. Keep them coming. Very exciting for older people who cannot do that sort of thing any more. Lots of fun, truly interesting. Thank you. From Arizona 😊

Notice the rocks below the hill are round and smooth. That is river rock... water flowed the area. Above on the hill, the rocks smaller and irregular in shape.

6:14 GOOD EYE!! 👏👏👏👏👏 10:43 From a distance, that looks like a low structure; magnified, it kinda resembles a low butte...🤔 12:03 Nameless butte was AMAZING! The longhorn signage, indicating that narrow passageway; the incredible views; the pueblo pottery shards; and this view of the Butte, looking like either an arrowhead, or a Star Destroyer straight outta 'Star Wars'! 😂 12:05 That series of long, flat grey stones at the 'nose', is certainly interesting/significant--intentional!

I'm no expert, though I have studied the Ancestral Puebloans some. I live in Colorado and have been to Mesa Verde. I have always found these peoples fascinating and have studied them as a hobby. And to me, it looks possibly like a fortified pit house village from before the cliff dwelling era. They would have had to build up that area at the top to have their pit houses up there. But like I said, I'm no expert. An awesome find!

You are very intersting and still careful with your findings. Really nice and exiting places you find, and histories.

These trips are amazing. If I came upon something like that, I'd faint! Thank you so much for these videos.

Your kindness and respect is admirable. I absolutely enjoyed your video and curiosity. ❤

Dude, make friends with those crows. They see everything. Their grandparents watched that pottery being made. edit super cool video!

I'm binge watching and amazed. Thank you for sharing your adventures !

Another amazing post!! Thank you for taking us that will never go or can't go! Really neat you really explore a site and found the grainary at this one = amazing! Best, from Colorado!

At 8:45 it looks to me you are centered on the depression of a pit-house. Edit: Getting into a room block at 9:20. As an Archaeologist I APPRECIATE that you don't provide locational data! Thank you! Last edit: the ending aerial view says it all! Gorgeous settlement!

Love your excitement at discovering petroglyphs!

Awesome area🤙🏜️🔥

I think that marginal rocks have always been a starting point for the first settlers. The scattered stones often burst due to the temperature differences between the hot day and cool night temperatures. What a wonderful all-round view from the top. Great!

Your expeditions are like a spiritual journey into the past. Mysterious but enlightening at once.

Hi Trek Master. Gunny here I have become recliner hiker lately cuz so many of your fans are and health have a way of catching us all. But Thanks so much for your treks across the West. I just wanted to point out something in your visit these Petros and at 4:44 min into the vid did you or your fans notice the FACE 😮 looking out towards the horizon. I'm sure someone must have noticed, but if not there you go. 😊

Another awesome exploration! Really appreciate you sharing your finds with us. Such a beautiful piece of history. Can only imagine what it looked like back in the days with teepee & village living day to day. ❤ it.

Thank you for taking us along.

Another marvelous adventure! Wow!

Absolutely beautiful. Thanks so much. I’m glad I came across your channel

Thanks again Jeff. I always look forward to what you've been filming. You make my day 😊

I like your adventures. This one allows imaginative speculation. My imagination sees vision quests up there. Maybe, Minor shelter and maybe buried supplies? I recall from history there could be hideouts for warriors and supplies for them. Maybe temporary shelter for scouts helping the tribe hunting? Anything like that seems so real as you walked around picking up shards, sharing that pile of stones and various other things. 👍🏻

Nice spot! Good camerawork! The small holes situated on the edge of the mesa at 10:57 look like grinding holes to me. Also, the pits on top of the mesa might have been dug for rainwater catchment.

Loved this stuff since I was a kid and read every book I could find about it. But I've only been able to visit Mesa Verde. Thanks for the visits to these sites.

those drone shots at the end, amazing. Those were some big structures

I have just found your channel. I think I'll hang out and binge your videos.

Great channel !! Glad I found it.

Looks like a great place to watch the night sky

I enjoy your excitement when you find something new. :)

That was a phenomenal aerial shot!! Really interesting ruins!

One thing that caught my eye was the huge abundance of smooth round stones. That suggests the area might have been covered by moving water in the far distant past.

Great Video , Intresting for Sure Great Trecking!! 💛😘

Love your expeditions. Nothing I would ever do, but neither is climbing the Matterhorn, but I love to see what you do. What an interesting combination of rocks! The sandstone and the smooth dark lava (?). The Pot Graveyard!

The decison to inhabit that space may have a bloodline to people we know today... How cool would it be to know the lineage? This planet is a treasure. Thanks for the sharing.

Same Roberto,bad knees and the whole nine yards. I really enjoy this man’s channel.

Wonderful collections of almost polished river stones or pebbles. Probably created in a river system which existed thousands or more than like.y millions of years ago in a very different environment. I really appreciate the pottery which almost looks like scales! Thank you so much!

WAY COOL --- LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for taking this grandma from Oshkosh, WI along!

Beautiful! Thank you.

Thank you again for another adventure.

Nice video and interestingplces you found . I been to placees and explore when i was younger ,walking with the dogs and found alot if pottery and art on walls,, I surely enjoyed your video . ..much respect to you for pottery you found and placed back .

Thank you for the interesting adventure .

I love watching your videos! So interesting. Hi from South Africa!

Most Excellent job, Mark

Looks like the top is an ancient Native American ceremonial site - vision quests using the depressions as the places they made their quest. Looks like a sacred space. That explains offering pots left with corn or other valuables and now shattered fragments. Not a village where domestic stuff happened. This was a special place to go to at special times for ancient locals.

Loved this trip with you. Thanks!

Great adventure. Thanks!

This area looks a lot like an older village we surveyed down the the Arizona Strip area, south of St. George, Utah. Sheesh I have to hope that there were at least a few trees around back some 1,000 yrs ago, because it sure looks barren now…. Then again they had the river and had most likely learned to divert water to irrigate their beans, squash , corn etc. thanks for letting us come along for the adventure.

Another nice video of the ancient peoples places

Very interesting, great video‼️💯

Another very interesting vid, thankyou.

All the river rock, everywhere. Wow !

This was awesome! Thank you.

Crows/corvids are social animals! They were honestly probably entertained by your presence.

beautiful walk...

You zoomed into some big peices of bright turquios stones- looks amazing!

I need to get back into archeology, I used to dig frequently... it's a great way to get outside, think about your mortality and learn the lives that came before us .

@1:19 the tiny bush (the one that's closes to the bottom) has a very peculiar depression around it! I need to know more about that! Very intriguing! Love your content btw.

Nice tour!

I really enjoy things like this. we took our kids to Masa Verde when they were small. Now our son is an Anthrophaigist and works for a University. He would love to be with you.

It's good that you noticed the energy in these places because that would have been a place used for ceremonies and gatherings so the vibe would still be strong and u picking up on that is a good thing means your in tune with the area

Guess it is look out mountain & I love the petroglyph & Pottery...

Totally Awesome ❤️ Adventure

It looks like there were kivas on top of the bluff at one time. Very interesting video.

Thanks for who are and what you do. You're a cool dude. Peace ✌

Great channel!! This stuff is fascinating as all get out. I wonder if those low spots may be worn pits dug by looters perhaps in the late 1800’s early 1900’s as some of the southwestern areas became parts of the US.

That was an amazing video, thank you so much for making it. So much better then most things on TV! Be careful and looking forward to liking and watching all your videos.

Yes!!!!! Sir you definitely found something amazing signs of early life are everywhere the first place you find pottery looks like the remnants of a foundation