Boquillas Hill Geoglyphs (Gran Desierto de Altar, Sonora)
Cerro Boquillas Figures · Altar Desert Hill Geoglyphs
Late Archaic to Trincheras (Amargosa–Hohokam interface)·Trincheras / Hohokam desert–Tohono O'odham continuity·🇲🇽 Sonora, Plutarco Elías Calles Municipality, Gran Desierto de Altar, Pinacate fringe, Mexico
About
About Boquillas Hill Geoglyphs (Gran Desierto de Altar, Sonora)
Sonoran Great Desert hill-terrace intaglios on cerro islands of the Gran Desierto de Altar (El Pinacate Biosphere buffer). INAH Sonoran 2005–2014 recorded 17 cleared figures 8–32 m: trident-like anthropomorphs, atlatl hunters and 80–140 m processional avenues trending to tinajas (rock water pockets). Figures are cleared on black basalt reg over pink granitic sand, with boulder curbs and Tohono O'odham–style trail shrine cairns. Projectile seriation suggests Amargosa/Trincheras use 300 BCE–1400 CE, with O'odham oral history identifying a 'salt pilgrimage road' to the Gulf. Encroachment by CART road and border dust.
Why it mattersOnly documented hill geoglyph tradition in the Sonoran Hot Desert north of the Pinacate.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Atlatl icon continuity
Theories
- 01Salt-to-Gulf pilgrimage
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.300 BCE – 1400 CE
- Period
- Late Archaic to Trincheras (Amargosa–Hohokam interface)
- Culture
- Trincheras / Hohokam desert–Tohono O'odham continuity
- Builders
- Sobaipuri–Trincheras desert foragers and Tohono O'odham ancestors
- Purpose
- Water-pocket pilgrimage and hunting-magic marking
- Abandoned
- c.1450 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1935 Malcolm Rogers; 2005 INAH re-mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1935
Rogers photographs Altar hill figures
2014
INAH maps 17 figures with tinaja correlation
On the ground
Structures & features
31.6500° N · 113.2500° W · 420 m · 2 mapped features
Trident Anthropomorph (20 m)
geoglyph20-m trident-headed figure on central cerro
31.6520° N · 113.2520° WProcessional Avenue (140 m)
geoglyph140-m avenue to Boquillas tinaja
31.6480° N · 113.2480° W