PARKER CITY — Native Americans and turkeys were linked long before the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
Evidence of that is carved into history along the Allegheny River.
Turkeys — or bird-like figures — were carved into large, flat rocks near Parker City in the northern part of the county. Ken Burkett, who has documented the seven groups of rocks, said the carvings were created by an "Algonquin-speaking people" possibly related to the Monongahela tribe of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
"It's a real treasure for this area," said Burkett, field associate with the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh and director of the Jefferson County History Center. "Places where the Native Americans actually stood, lived and interacted ... are very rare."
At Parker's Landing, the group of rocks shows a time when Native Americans sat on the stones for hours carving pictures and looking across the Allegheny River at the lush, green hillside not far south of Parker. They created 179 carvings of "prehistoric figures" which are called petroglyphs, Burkett said.
The site, though not historically preserved, is thoroughly hidden along the riverbank by brush and high water across the river from Parker City. Much of the petroglyphs are underwater, only becoming visible during the summer when the water is low, Burkett said.
On a visit to the site early last month, one rock was visible with a few petroglyphs. Larry Smail, an East Franklin painter who has produced a piece of work from the site, said the rocks are almost directly across from Bear Creek near Parker City.
"They are kind of neat if you think about it," Smail said.
So agrees Burkett.
"Parker's Landing is pretty much pristine yet," he said.
The site
Parker's Landing was originally recorded in the 1960s. Burkett was asked more recently by the Carnegie Museum to examine the site — and he immediately found there was much more to learn than previously documented.
He spent several years re-recording all of the figures and publishing a report. Through his research, Burkett determined the petroglyphs were likely carved between 500 B.C. and 1750 A.D. by Native Americans.
"Most of them are done in prehistoric times," he said.
Many have eroded from the rise and fall of the river and sediment over time. However, they stand out remarkably in a setting sun.
"This is truly a unique location," Burkett said.
The purpose
Burkett speculates that creating the petroglyphs were strictly a summer activity. During the warm months, the rocks would have been exposed from the water and tribes may have headed for the river to gather flint and catch fish, he said.
The large gatherings may have involved weddings or ceremonies and the plentiful daylight left the Native Americans with time to carve the rocks. The petroglyphs appear to resemble figures including turtles, an otter or beaver and turkeys and their footprints.
However, Burkett said, they could be a celestial representation of the night sky because the river was the only open place for villages within the nearby woods. Or the petroglyphs could have been Native Americans passing on tribe legends or history through illustration, he said.
Some of the animal-like petroglyphs have what Burkett referred to as "heart lines" running through their bodies. Others are adorned with diagonal lines.
"Most people that work with petroglyphs agree that if there's a diagonal line that cuts through the body that that animal is a mythological or a spiritual" being, Burkett said.
For example, a panther-like animal with antlers similar to a deer has two diagonal lines through the rear of its body. The creature is referred to as "Mishibizhiw," meaning 'underwater cat.' Similar petroglyphs have been found throughout the country with different variations, such as bison-like horns, Burkett said.
There are 13 other petroglyph sites in the region, Burkett said, adding that "I'm certain that there's more than that out there." There are at least two more along the river that are covered part of the year in a similar fashion to the Parker site, he said.
Curious visitors are welcome to check out the petroglyphs at Parker, but Burkett stressed the importance of respecting history.
Local petroglyphs
Larry Smail is working on a room at the Armstrong County Historical Museum set to open in April about Native Americans in the area. The room features replications of the Parker's Landing petroglyphs as well as artifacts, some of which he has found, from Native Americans who once inhabited the area.
In the Kittanning and Ford City areas lived the Delaware and Shawnee tribes, as well as many others that migrated through the area, Smail said.
"We don't know how many tribes have moved through here over the years," he said.
The tribes had trails going in and out of Kittanning for hunting excursions and they raised corn, beans and squash, Smail said.
"They didn't have the big headdresses like the Western Indians are known for," he said.
Additional Information:Seen any petroglyphs?
If you have seen what could be petroglyphs, contact the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh at 412-622-3131 or Ken Burkett at 814-849-0077.
A room devoted to Native Americans put together by Larry Smail at the Armstrong County Historical Museum is scheduled to open in April.
