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Petroglyphs of Saline River Valley, Kansas
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by Nova Wells
Paradise Site
(14RU5)
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The Paradise Creek petroglyph site is a large, tan sandstone cliff on the north side of the Saline River below the point where Paradise Creek flows into the Saline. There are many trees as well as tall grasses which grow, sometimes rubbing the carvings. The area is now in the flood plain of Wilson Reservoir, but has not often experienced high water. The land is privately owned and permission must be obtained before exploring there.
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Hiking to the west end of the south-facing cliff, the first thing that caught the eye in 1963 was a boulder as large as a station wagon, which had tumbled free from the cliff. This resulted in leaving one of the unique petroglyphs, numbered P1, an anthropomorphic figure 46 cm tall, standing on its head. The figure was all head, arms and legs, with nor real body.
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This petroglyph is unique to the area for several reasons: the size and details of the head - the eyes, nostrils, mouth, fancy headdress and earrings; the absence of a proportional body; and the bangles on its ankles. Very few of the Saline Valley carvers put facial features on the heads they drew. The most notable exceptions are found at the Russell site at R6.
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A few months later a return visit to the Paradise site revealed that the face of the rock was smooth. The carving had been removed by sawing a slab of rock about 4 cm think. This action had to result in dozens of pieces of sandstone, destroying the petroglyph, for this rock is extremely fragile.
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