This cache is part of a series called the “Prairie Storms Adventure Trail” developed by Living Skies 2014 MEGA Event volunteers. Enjoy the hidden secrets of Southern Saskatchewan by getting off the beaten trail to sites seldom visited, scenic views, historic sites and buildings. The name also pays tribute to the Alberta's “Prairie Winds Adventure Trail” which was created for the Best of the Bad (WestCan 1) MEGA event in 2011.
This series will also take you along the Red Coat Trail, which is a 1,300 km route through southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta taken in 1874 by the North-West Mounted Police in their quest to bring law and order to the Canadian West. In Saskatchewan, Highway 13 is designated as Red Coat Trail.
The petroglyph site is situated approximately 2,800’ above sea level, 1,000‘ above the village of St. Victor. Overlooking vast pasture land, it bears witness to glacier activity from 17,000 years ago. The concentration of petroglyphs are found on the horizontal sandstone slab beyond the fence. In the mid-afternoon light the markings on the rock are barely visible. The St. Victor Petroglyphs are one of Canada’s mysteries. Not much is known about the peoples who carved them, why they were left in this location or when exactly they were created. All one can be certain of is that these petroglyphs provide clues to the peoples who lived on Saskatchewan’s plains and beyond hundreds of years ago at a time predating written records. The carvings were made by artists from a number of succeeding Northern Plains cultures over a period between 1,800 and 250 years ago. Comparative archaeological, historical and ethnological research suggests that many of the motifs seen here represent Eastern American Woodlands artistic and cultural influences. These were associated with ceremonies carried out to ensure the propagation and fertility of both bison and humans. Some of the human face figures may represent imagery connected with funerary practices of 900-1400 AD.
To receive a Special Edition Living Skies Geocoin, you must have logged, as "found" at least
45 of the “Prairie Storms Adventure Trail” caches. Please send an e-mail to
prairiestorms@livingskies2014.ca and we will check your profile and contact you for mailing arrangements. There are approximately
30 geocoins available.
