Visiting Grasslands National Park East Block Like Time Travel St. Victor Petroglyphs a Window into the Province’s Past

There are more than 300 carvings at St. Victor Petroglyphs Provincial Park and they are one of Saskatchewan’s great mysteries. It is not known who carved the petroglyphs, why, or even when. The carvings do, however, provide clues about the people who lived in the province hundreds of years ago. The provincial park is located near the Village of St. Victor in the Big Muddy Badlands of southcentral Saskatchewan. The petroglyphs were carved into horizontal sandstone at the top of a cliff. They include representations of animal, bird and human tracks — footprints and handprints — as well as several symbols, and a few human and animal figures. The drawings were carved between 500 A.D. and 1700 A.D., and given that some of the glyphs have been carved on top of one another, it is assumed they were carved by many different people over several years. Due to the time and effort it would have required to complete the petroglyphs, it is surmised that this was a site of great importance to the Aboriginal people who created them. The carvings are unique in that they are the only

petroglyphs carved upon a horizontal surface on the Canadian Plains. One of the largest, most prominent and perhaps newest of the glyphs is a face that seems similar to those observed in artifacts from northern plains burial mounds. The mounds are believed to be 300 to 600 years old. To preserve the petroglyphs and for public safety, access to the cliff edge has been restricted. However, there is a lookout point where visitors can look down on the glyphs. The best time to view the drawings is on a clear day, either early in the morning or close to sunset, where shadows cast on the faint carvings and give them more definition. Interpretive panels and reproductions of some of the glyphs are

available for visitors to examine, while a picnic area

and pit toilet are available. The petroglyphs are open year-round; admission is free; there are guided tours and self-guided tours, and wildlife and bird viewing are possible. For more information call 1-800-205-7070 or (306) 694-3229, or email buffalopound@gov.sk.ca. The petroglyphs are two kilometres south of the Village of St. Victor. Watch for signs.