HUMAN INTERACTION WITH GIANT GROUND SLOTHS:

Artist's rendition of human interacting with a Giant Ground Sloth. Image from www.extinctanimals.org.

One of the iconic megafauna of the Paleolithic period is the Giant Ground Sloth with more than a dozen related species of Giant Ground Sloths distributed throughout North and South America. Ground Sloths ranged in size from small, just a few pounds, to the truly giant Megatherium. Interest in Megatherium began centuries ago, President Thomas Jefferson had tasked Lewis and Clark to attempt to locate them in the West on their journey of exploration.

Human with Giant Ground Sloth skeleton. Internet image, public domain.

“Megalonyx, which means ‘giant claw’, was a widespread North American genus that lived past the close of the last Wisconsin glaciations, when so many large mammals died out. Remains have been found as far north as Alaska and the Yukon. Ongoing excavations at Tarkio Valley in southwestern Iowa may reveal something of the familial life of Megalonyx. An adult was found in direct association with two juveniles of different ages, suggesting that adults cared for young of different generations. The earliest known North American Megalonychid, Pliometanastes protistus, lived in the southern U.S. about 9 million years ago and is believed to have been the predecessor on Megalonyx. Several species of Megalonyx have been named; in fact it has been stated that ‘nearly every good specimen has been described as a different species.’ A broader perspective on the group, accounting for age, sex, individual and geographic differences, indicates that only three species are valid (M. leptostomus, M. wheatleyi, and M. jeffersonii) in the late Pliocene and Pleistocene of North America, although work by McDonald lists five species. Jefferson’s ground sloth has a special place in modern paleontology, for Thomas Jefferson’s letter on Megalonyx, read before the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia in August 1796, marked the beginning of vertebrate paleontology in North America. When Lewis and Clark set out, Jefferson instructed Meriwether Lewis to keep an eye out for ground sloths. He was hoping they would find some living in the Western range. Megalonyx jeffersonii was appropriately named after Thomas Jefferson.” (Wikipedia)

"The earliest megatherid in North America was Eremotherium eomigrans whish arrived 2.2 million years ago, after crossing the recently formed Panamanian land bridge. With more than five tons in weight, 6 meters in length, and able to reach as high as 17 feet (5.2 m), it was larger than an African bush elephant bull. Unlike relatives, this species retained a plesiomorphic extra claw. While other species of Eremotherium had four fingers with only two or three claws, E. eomigrans had five fingers, four of them with claws up to nearly a foot long." (Wikipedia)

We now have a number of lines of proof of human interaction with Giant Ground Sloths. Speaking on the PBS Newshour about the recent discovery of Paleolithic footprints at White Sands of both animals (including megafauna) and humans, David Bustos of White Sands National Park stated "We were brushing out a set of sloth prints, and Matthew found the human pring right iside the middle of the sloth print. And that's sort of sealed the deal, Oh, yes, you definitely have the megafauna and humans together. So that's sort of where the the human side of the story all began." (Sy and Jackson 2022)  

"A human footprint is shown above with a raised heel mark inside the larger, curved footprint of a giant sloth. Below, researchers mapped the sloth and human tracks to re-create the chase scene, with 'flailing circles' to mark where the the animal reared up on two feet to defend itself."  Illustration from Garisto, 2018.

"Tests of sediment showed the sloth and human prints were made at the same time. An analysis of the track also suggested the two species were interacting with one another. 'We're getting a view into the past, of an interaction between two species,' says Sally Reynolds, a paleontologist at Bournemouth University in Poole, England. ' This was a moment of action, a moment of drama.' Raynolds, Bustos and their colleagues reconstructed the chase. Humans stalked a sloth, of several sloths, which the hunters surrounded in the open. At seven places, a sloth reared up on its hind legs - towering over the humans - to fendd off an attack. But the chase continued, with the humans in hot pursuit. The encounter 'wasn't luck or happenstance; it was cold calculation,' Reynolds says. 'Our intention was to kill them.' The trail of footprints ends, though, and it's not clear who came out victorious." (Garisto 2018) This would have been a windfall of food for the Paleolithic hunters, although difficult to procure.

So, we now have evidence of humans tracking and hunting Giant Ground Sloths, is there any other evidence of interactions? "The Santa Elina rock shelter in Central Brazil shows evidence of successive human settlements from around the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene. Two Pleistocene archaeological layers include rich lithic industry associated with remains of the extinct giant ground sloth Glossotherium phoenesis. The remains include thousands of osteoderms (i.e. dermal bones), three of which were human modified." (Pansani et al. 2023)

Giant Ground Sloth osteoderms drilled and polished for use as adornment. Images from Pansani et al., 2023.

In this case the term modified means holes drilled in the osteoderms, apparently for use as jewelry. The modifications include the drilling of the holes as well as polishing. "We document the smoothing of the surface; traces of stone tool interaction with bone, including incisions and scars, scraping marks, scratches, percussion notches; polish and gloss; use-wear smoothing of the rim and the attachment systems. - Unmodified mylodontid osteoderms show a naturally rough external surface, notably different from the smooth polished surfaces of the three human-modified osteoderms. Among the thousands of fossil osteoderms on the site, the perforated and polished state of the three osteoderms studied here is exceptional." (Pansani et al. 2023)

So now, in addition to apparent hunting of Giant Ground Sloths by early human inhabitants, we have the use of parts of the animal for adornment. 

Panel and close-up of the image from La Lindosa, Colombia of what is assumed to represent an adult and juvenile Giant Ground Sloth interacting with humans. Online image, public domain.

My final example of human interaction with Giant Ground Sloths comes from a painted cliff in Colombia. Among the recently recorded pictographs at the remarkable site of La Lindosa in Columbia is a figure that has been identified as a Giant Ground Sloth. "The animal is accompanied by an offspring and surrounded by animated miniature men, some of whom extend their arms towards the painting. The relationship of the animal with the men appears to be central to the artist's message." (Irarte et al. 2020) This could almost be considered a visual illustration of the interactions recorded at the White Sands track site of human interaction with one or more ground sloths. Identification of this animal as a Giant Ground Sloth is apparently based on body and head shape, the relative length of front and rear legs, and an emphasis on the toes and claws projecting from the feet. It is being shown with an offspring is reminiscent of the Iowa discovery of an adult skeleton with two juveniles referenced above from Wikipedia.

Given the size of these creatures, and the length of their claws, they would have been formidable prey for early human residents in the New World.

NOTE 1: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

NOTE 2: I have recollections in the past of having seen a photograph of a petroglyph of an animal in Brazil somewhere that had been identified as a Giant Ground Sloth. But, apologies, I have been unable to relocate it. If anyone knows of such a picture please share it with me for posting on RockArtBlog.

REFERENCES:

Garisto, Dan, 2018. Footprints prove humans hunted giant sloths during the Ice Age, 25 April 2018, https://www.sciencenews.org. Accessed online 3 January 2024.

Irarte, Jose, et al., 2022, Ice Age megafauna rock art in the Columbian Amazon?, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0496.

Pansani, Thais R. et al., 2023, Evidence of artefacts made of giant sloth bones in central Brazil around the last glacial maximum, Published online by Royal Society Publishing, 12 July 2023, DOI:10.1098/rspb.2023.0316. Accessed online 20 Novmeber 2023.

Sy, Stephanie, and Lena I. Jackson, 2022, Ancient Footprints in New Mexico raise questions about when humans inhabited North America, 4 April 2022, PBS Newshour, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ancient-footprints-in-new-mexico-raise-questions-about-when-humans-inhabited-north-america#transcript. Accessed online 9 February 2024.

USING THE KNOWLEDGE OF TRADITIONAL HUNTERS/ANIMAL TRACKERS TO IDENTIFY ANCIENT ECOLOGIES BY ANALYSIS OF ROCK ART TRACKS:

 Section of panel RAS 8-O, showing the individual sequential numbers for all engravings, digitally enhanced; height of section: c. 1.8 m; photograph by P. Breunig.

“In recent years, archaeological research has increasingly begun to involve bearers of indigenous knowledge, particularly in ichnology, the science of tracks. Some of this research has analyzed, in much greater detail than had been accessible via the archaeological methods implemented hitherto, Pleistocene footprints preserved in caves in France that were in use during the Upper Paleolithic. We consider the undisputed skills and knowledge of indigenous hunters in tracking animals and humans equally successfully as a methodological toolkit with promising potential for other, related archaeological sources.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023)

Hidden panel of the RAS-8 rock art site. Photograph by P. Breunig.

An indigenous or traditional hunter/gatherer possesses enough detailed knowledge of all the elements of his/her environment to be able to not only identify animals by their tracks, but to make judgements about their size, condition, gender and health by analyzing their tracks. It stands to reason then, that these same experts should be able to analyze representations of animal tracks in a rock art panel, identify the animals they represent, and thus provide data about the prehistoric ecology of that area. This is exactly what was done in a recent study in Namibia.

“Namibia is rich in hunter-gatherer rock art from the Later Stone Age (LSA); this is a tradition of which well-executed engravings of animal tracks in large numbers are characteristic. Research into rock art usually groups these motifs together with geometric signs; at best, therefore, it may provide summary lists of them. To date, the field has completely disregarded the fact that tracks and trackways are a rich medium of information for hunter-gatherers, alongside their deeper, culture-specific connotations. A recent research project, from which this article has emerged, has attempted to fill this research gap; it entailed indigenous tracking experts from the Kalahari analyzing engraved animal tracks and human footprints in a rock art region in central Western Namibia, the Doro! nawas Mountains, which is the site of recently discovered rock art. The experts were able to define the species, sex, age group and exact leg of the specific animal or human depicted in more than 90% of the engravings they analyzed (N = 513). Their work further demonstrates that the variety of fauna is much richer in engraved tracks than in depictions of animals in the same engraving tradition. The analyses reveal patterns that evidently arise from culturally determined preferences. The study represents further confirmation that indigenous knowledge, with its profound insights into a range of particular fields, has the capacity to considerably advance archaeological research.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023)

Rock art panels with animal and human tracks were chosen for analysis by the expert trackers. “The sites examined in this study are situated in the Doro! nawas mountains of Namibia. We chose them primarily for their abundance of track engravings on single panels. In an isolated, crater-like basin 11 km west of /Ui//aes-Twyfelfontein, two out of six rock art sites feature such panels. Sites RAS 6 and RAS 8 as numbered by Frankfurt Goethe University’s research project] are accumulations of sandstone boulders some 250 m from each other, both located on terraces of the basin’s steep south-eastern slope at roughly 800 m asl, while the bottom of the basin sits at 620 m asl.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023)

“For this study, we engaged three indigenous tracking experts, Tsamgao Ciqae, /Ui Kxunta and Thui Thao; they had previously worked on the Tracking in Caves project, but also as professional trackers for commercial hunting. The research at the sites selected for this study, RAS 6 and RAS 8, took place from 18 to 20 September 2018.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023) These indigenous consultant/analysts from the Kalahari not only had extensive experience tracking animals professionally, they had previous experience analyzing animal tracks in rock art in the aforementioned Tracking in Caves project.

Frequently depicted animal tracks. 

Less frequently depicted animal tracks.

Rarely depicted animal tracks.

The sequence in columns represents the order of number of occurrences. The scale of reproduction differs from picture to picture; all tracks are shown in upward direction (irrespective of their actual direction on the rock face); all tracks are digitally enhanced, photographs by P. Breunig.

The results of this consultation are surprisingly positive. “Among the 513 tracks analysed in total, the experts identified 345 quadrupeds and 62 bird tracks (407 in total from 40 different species; Rhinoceros sp. is listed as a taxon, but not counted as a separate species). We divide these into a group of ’frequently’ depicted species (10 depictions or more), a second group of ‘less frequently’ depicted species (between 3 and 9 depictions), and a group of ’rarely’ depicted species (one or two specimens only). The animal track engravings encompass 39 species, including herbivores, felines, other predators, birds and primates.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023)

“Among the animals and birds that feature in these rock art sites in the Doro! nawas mountains, we note a number of species that do not occur in the region today because they require a more humid climate and environment than that currently prevailing; these are blue wildebeest, buffalo, bushbuck, bushpig, vervet monkey, roan antelope, red-billed teal, and, to an extent, eland, marabou, red-crested korhaan and open-billed stork. All other animals and birds that appear in the engravings continue to live in the region today.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023) This difference in extant species can provide valuable clues to changes in the environment there over time.

“An attempt to attribute any definite meaning to the track engravings of the Doro! nawas mountains must remain guesswork and speculation in view of the rich polysemy of tracks that occur worldwide. For the time being we can maintain that the track engravings from the prehistoric hunter-gatherer culture(s) that existed in Namibia appear to have had an epistemic purpose that rested on thorough positivist, empirical knowledge of the life world from which they emerged. Whatever the deeper and symbolic meanings of these engravings, it could only emerge in its entirety through a direct conversation with the artists. It may be that further statistical analysis centering on other, as yet uninvestigated features of the engraved tracks could enable researchers in this field to identify some cognitive groupings of the animals depicted which are neither self-evident nor self-explanatory–both of which are general characteristics of cognitive categorizations from a global point of view. The difficulty we note here is one that arises in the interpretation of all prehistoric art. Consulting present-day indigenous experts can partly mitigate this issue, enabling Western researchers access to greater depth of insight through the outstanding precision and plausibility of indigenous knowledge; yet often, as in this case, the precise meaning and context of the art will remain elusive.” (Lenssen-Erz et al. 2023)

To the extent that the life experiences of the trackers involved resembles the life experiences of the prehistoric peoples who left the rock art being studied, there can be considerable insight into the record that was left on the rocks. There is, however, no way to judge cultural similarities and mythologies so in that regard I would not expect any complete insight as a result. This is certainly a very interesting project and did result in a great deal of exciting data. Congratulations to all involved.

NOTE: Images in this posting came from PLoS ONE and copyrights belong to PLoS ONE and the authors. For further information on this report you should read the original report at the site listed below.

REFERENCE:

Lenssen-Erz T, Pastoors A, Uthmeier T, Ciqae T, Kxunta /, Thao T., 2023, Animal tracks and human footprints in prehistoric hunter-gatherer rock art of the Doro! nawas mountains (Namibia), analysed by present-day indigenous tracking experts. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0289560. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289560. Accessed online 15 September 2023.

 

FERTILITY, WEALTH, OR ANIMAL TRACKS?

Vulvar representation, La Ferrasie,

France. Photo: Public Domain.

On October 14, 2017, I posted a column titled Fertility or Wealth? in which I pointed out that some variations of the symbols traditionally interpreted as vulvas and used worldwide, might also be portrayals of shells, also used worldwide by cultures as symbols of wealth or adornment.

Abri Blanchard, Tracing Upper Paleolithic Iconography, Derek Hodgson, fig. 1B.

Laussel, France,

Tracing Upper Paleolithic Iconography,

Derek Hodgson, fig. 3B.

Abri Castanet, France, 

Tracing Upper Paleolithic Iconography,

Derek Hodgson, fig. 4A.

There is also another possibility, that some of these images might have been intended to represent animal tracks. While many of these images seem to be obvious vulvar representations, there are also many that actually look more like the tracks of large game animals than symbols of fertility.

Bison tracks,

www.naturetraking.com,

Photo: Johah Evans.

Track of bison in snow,

Tracing Upper Paleolithic Iconography,

Derek Hodgson, fig. 1A.

New discoveries on carved blocks of stone from Abri Cellier in France have led to the identification of a number of symbols as vulvas (White 2017:8-14). Also Abri Blanchard, Laussel, and Abri Castanet have these images (Hodgson 2018). Hodgson pointed out that "the notion that the "Q" shaped motifs in Upper Palaeolithic art represent vulvas has become accepted dogma. This assumption is critically examined by showing that such motifs more closely resemble hoof prints. A number of hoof prints made by large herbivores are illustrated highlighting this correspondence, which suggests that such motifs should be reclassified as representing tracks made by certain animals. The idea that such motifs represent vulvas is deemed to result from prior assumptions regarding the pre-eminence of the male gaze." (Hodgson 2018:1)

                  

Wild horse tracks,

animalia-life.club, Internet,

Photo: J. Paul Mashburn,

2010.

Unshod horse in snow,

Tracing Upper Paleolithic Iconography,

Derek Hodgson, fig. 1D, 2018.

These ancient cultures hunted Paleolithic megafauna: horses, aurochs, bison, and cervids (deer, reindeer, elk) and images of the tracks of these animals would make considerable sense in the repertoire of rock art themes. Whether these images would be pertinent to rites of increase for the game animals, or function as flash cards in the education of hunters, or have another purpose altogether, we might not be able to know, but we should acknowledge the possibility. Hodgson pointed out this possibility in connection with his ""Q" shaped motifs" (2018:1) but there are, in fact, a number of related shapes that also might represent animal tracks instead of vulvas.

Just imagine, if the pictures on the cave walls had been originally discovered by American buffalo hunters some of these images might have been designated animal tracks all along.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Hodgson, Derek,

2018 Tracing Upper Palaeolithic Iconography: The Strange Case of Animal Tracks, University of York, UK, Global Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, Vol. 3, Issue 4, April 2018.

BIRDS IN ROCK ART - THE ROADRUNNER:

 

 

Roadrunner petroglyph at 3-Rivers (with

footprint above him), New Mexico.

Photograph Jack and Esther Faris, 1988.

 

 

 

Roadrunner tracks, St. George, Utah.

 

 A distinctive bird in the American Southwest is the Roadrunner (Geococcyx californicus). Not only is the roadrunner a bird with remarkable habits and abilities, it has a remarkable footprint consisting of a curved "X" shape. There is a petroglyph at the 3-Rivers site in New Mexico that shows a roadrunner along with his footprint. Perhaps this is like the name glyphs used to identify individuals in Ledger Book art. The distinctive footprint pointing out the identity of the bird.

 

Roadrunner petroglyph at 3-Rivers, New Mexico.

Photograph Jack and Esther Faris, 1988.

 

 

Roadrunner petroglyph at 3-Rivers, New Mexico.

Photograph Margaret Harris, 1987.

Once, at Galisteo Dike, south of Santa Fe, while focused upon the marvelous petroglyphs, I found myself attracted to movements out of the corner of my eye, way out at the edge of my peripheral vision. I looked that way a couple of times but saw nothing. Then, after another flicker attracted my attention, I sat down and just watched for a while. It was a warm morning and small lizards were crawling up on the patina-darkened cliffs to warm up. Then I saw what had attracted my attention - it was a roadrunner running up the cliff face to snatch a lizard before going back down. I watched for a number of minutes and saw a few repetitions of the performance before he (or she) quit and left. The roadrunner from 3 Rivers carved in a vertical pose on the rock reminds me of this. It even seems to carry a snake in its beak as it runs up the rock.

 

 

Roadrunner (Geococcyx californicus),

www.desertusa.com.

 

"The roadrunner, also known as a chaparral bird and a chaparral cock, is a fast-running ground cuckoo that has a long tail and a crest. It is found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, usually in the desert. Some have been clocked at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)." (Wikipedia)
 

The genus Ceococcyx has just two (species), the greater roadrunner (G. californianus) inhabiting Mexico and the United States, and the lesser roadrunner (G. velox) inhabiting Mexico and Central America. (Wikipedia)
 

"The roadrunner is an opportunistic omnivore. Its diet normally consists of insects (such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and beetles), small reptiles (such as lizards and snakes, including rattlesnakes), rodents and small mammals, spiders (including tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, snails, small birds (and nestlings), eggs, and fruit, and seeds like those from prickly pear cactuses and sumacs." (Wikipedia)

"The roadrunner forages on the ground and, when hunting, usually runs after prey from under cover. It may leap to catch insects, and commonly batter(s) certain prey against the ground. Because of its quickness, the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes." (Wikipedia)

 

“Sityatki Polychrome, AD 1375-1625. Subject is the

hosh-boa, a bird called roadrunner or chaparral cock

which figured in an ancient Hopi courting ceremony.”

(Patterson 1992:95)
 

This last fact, that roadrunners actually are known to prey upon rattlesnakes, impressed the makers of mythology (and rock art as well) deeply. It impresses me deeply as well, having had a few encounters with rattlesnakes while out looking at rock art. Because of this, in much of the American southwest, the roadrunner is associated with warrior traits, and success in battle. This potential impact upon life and death has also led also to association with curing, and with security. (Tyler 1991:219-24) The roadrunner is definitely a remarkable and important character.

 

REFERENCES:

Patterson, Alex

1992    A Field Guide To Rock Art Symbols Of The Greater Southwest, Johnson Books, Boulder.

Tyler, Hamilton A.

1991    Pueblo Birds and Myths, Northland Publishing, Flagstaff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUSTRALIA'S GENYORNIS, EXTINCT ANIMALS AND TRACKS IN ROCK ART:

Extraordinary Engraved Bird Track from North

Australia, Ouzman, et. al., 2002, Cambridge

Arch. Journal, Vol. 12, 2002, p. 103-112.

In 2002, a fascinating article published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal (Ouzman et. al., Vol. 12, p. 103-112) described and illustrated a petroglyph in Australia of a large three toed footprint that they interpreted as a representation of the track of Genyornis newtoni.

 “Genyornis was a large flightless bird, considerably taller and heavier than the modern ostrich or emu. It had powerful legs and tiny wings, and probably most closely resembled its living relatives, ducks and geese. But instead of having webbed feet and a duckbill, Genyornis had large hoof-like claws on its toes and a big beak, with which it ate fruit and nuts, and perhaps small prey. Like modern birds, it had no teeth, but relied on gizzard stones to assist its digestion.

Genyornis lived in the dry grasslands and woodlands of southern and eastern Australia. Fossils have been found in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, especially on the surface of the dry Lake Callabonna. The bones of a number of birds have been found in one place, suggesting that they lived in flocks. Fossil eggs and footprints have also been found. 

Genyornis illustration, artist: Peter Trussler.

Genyornis was the last of the dromornithids, and was small compared to other species. This family of giant birds is known by a variety of names, including ‘thunder birds’, ‘demon ducks’ and ‘mihirungs’. Humans almost certainly lived alongside these birds, and some scientists think that hunting may have contributed to their extinction. Other scientists think the extinction of Australian megafauna was linked to the continent becoming drier during the last Ice Age. (museumvictoria.com.au/Melbournemuseum)”

Pictographs identified as Genyornis. www.digplanet.com. 

A dating study of more than 700 fragments of Genyornis eggshells demonstrated that the birds declined and became extinct over a short period at about 50k ±5k years BP – too short for climate change. This suggested that the extinction event had been due to human activity. (www.digplanet.com)

Then, in May 2010, an Aboriginal rock painting at least a possible 40,000 years old, was discovered at the Nawarla Gabarnmung rock art site in the Northern Territory that depicts two of the birds. This suggested late survival of the species in southwest Victoria which is reinforced by Aboriginal traditions. (www.digplanet.com)

REFERENCES:

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Genyornis

http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/dinosaur-walk/meet-the-skeletons/genyornis/

Ouzman, Sven, Paul S.C. Tacon, Ken Mulvaney, and Richard Fullagar

2002    Extraordinary Engraved Bird Track from North Australia: Extinct Fauna, Dreaming Being, and/or Aesthetic Masterpiece, Cambridge Archaeological Journal, Vol. 12, p. 103-112.

ARCHAEOASTRONOMY - TURKEY TRACKS ACROSS THE SKY:

Tracks on cliff, Fremont Indian State Park, Utah. Photo: Peter Faris, 2001.

Native Americans recognized constellations of stars just like other ancient cultures, they just had different names for them. In Stars of the First People, Dorcas Miller (1997:179) wrote “Pueblo farmers kept turkeys, so it is not surprising that they should recognize a Turkey Feet constellation. John P. Harrington, an ethnologist who worked in the southwest and published information about Tewa constellations in 1916, writes that the group is “”an easily learned constellation of the exact form of a turkey’s foot,”” but to the frustration of later readers he does not identify these stars. The shape of a turkey’s foot is similar to that of the Northern Cross, which has also been suggested as the Pawnee Bird’s Foot constellation.” The Northern Cross is the central grouping of the larger constellation Cygnus, the Swan. Looking at star charts for this area of the sky, I find nearby another classical constellation that looks, if anything, even more like a turkey track and that is Aquila, the Eagle. Taken together Cygnus the Swan and Aquila the Eagle would represent a pair of turkey tracks, Turkey would have been walking across the sky.

Star map showing Eagle and Northern Cross constellations.

Miller, Stars of the First People, p.17.

When we find a row of bird tracks on a rock in the Southwest there are a standard few pat answers as to what they represent. In many instances they would be assumed to represent the turkey itself and its role as a food source, or a source of feathers, or even represent a spirit helper. In traditionally ancestral Puebloan areas they might be called clan symbols. What I do not believe that I have ever seen as an explanation however, is that they might represent an archaeoastronomical reference, the constellation – Turkey Tracks across the sky.

Reference:
Miller, Dorcas S.
1997     Stars of the First People, Native American Star Myths and Constellations, Pruett Pub. Co.,
             Boulder, Colorado.