The Fate Bell Pictograph Site, also known as the Fate Bell Rock Shelter, was give this name because the land where this archeological site is located was previously owned by Mrs Fate Bell who subsequently donated the land to the State of Texas for the protection of the rock art.

Subsequently, the state of Texas has established Seminole Canyon State Park for the protection of these pictograph and for public access to the site. The rock shelter is access by a guided tour with tickets purchased at the state park visitors center

During my tour in 2017, the guide tells us about the people who have inhabited this location about four thousand years ago, and that there are many such locations in this area. The guide says, In fact Val Verde County has more similar pictograph sites than any other place in the world.

Seminole Canyon state park is located about thirty miles west of Comstock, Texas on US 90, just before the highway crosses the Pecos River.

The Fate Bell pictograph site is located in a rock shelter in the upper Seminole Canyon quite higher up from where the lower Seminole canyon connects to the Rio Grande River, which is along the Texas border with Mexico.

Coastal Plains

Southern Inland Plains Ecoregion

The rock shelter appears to have been inhabited from the Archaic Period to the Late Prehistoric Period (ca. 7000 B.C. to A.D. 1500).

Upon arriving at the park headquarters building, I walk up to the cashier, purchase my ticket for the tour, and I am told that the tour meets on the viewing deck. I walk out the back of the building, down the stairs and immediately see Seminole Canyon stretched out to the east of me. The desert gray and tans are the predominate colors with the canyon walls covered in black. The black is algae which has long since died. Many places on the wall, there are yellow-tan splotches where the algae or a piece of the rock has broken away from the wall.

Soon, others arrive for the tour and finally a younger woman walks down the stairs, introduces herself as the guide and tells us her name is Kelly.

When the tour begins, we walk on a partially paved path from the headquarters and then on a rock and gravel path across the top of the canyon to the first shade shelter and stop for every one to catch up and here we get our first glimpse of the rock shelter.

Here, the guide tells us about the people who have inhabited this location about four thousand years ago, that there are many such locations in this area, in fact Val Verde County has more similar sites than any other place in the world.

Then we leave the shade shelter and follow the steep rock steps into Seminole canyon, down some two hundred feet to the canyon floor and upon arriving at the slow moving water, we then begin walking downstream towards the rock shelter.

As we are walking downstream, I notice a set of wooden steps leading up to the rock shelter when Kelly draws my attention upwards to my left. Turning, I see the first pictograph mural, raise my camera and take two photographs. Kelly tells me that we will get closer after climbing the stairs.

We continue down the canyon floor, climb the steps up to the rock shelter level and walk up to the pictograph on the wall. I begin taking photos while Kelly talks about the different shapes and features.

She tells us, The central characters of the pictograph are face less anthropomorphic ¹ figures, elaborately dressed and often holding a variety of accessories such as darts, fending sticks and atlatls. ²

Kelly goes on to say, There is often found a thin line running from bottom left, through the figure, to the upper right, often with a curve at the top.

She continues, The figures are often depicted with their arms outstretched, often up reaching and in later pictograph the anthropomorphs′ arms increasingly stylized and seem to be more closely related to wings than arms.

Often, other figures, which could be animals are depicted in the pictograph.

We climb down from the annex section to the canyon floor, walk downstream a short distance to the next set of steps, and climb up to the main rock shelter.

As we climb up to the shelter floor, Kelly reminds us on stay on the rubber mats that have been placed there to keep the dust in the midden from rising and damaging the pictograph.

The shelter floor is covered with the midden which is several feet deep.

The first display is very badly faded, so much so that the pictograph are nearly gone. It was helpful to see a copy of a painting that was done in the 1930′s which helped me to see more of what is still on on the wall but faded.

The first photo below is taken of the kiosk showing the 1930′s photo.

Nevertheless, in the rock shelter there are still several pictograph that have some color left and I take several photos while Kelly talks a little more about the features these pictograph have.

Although every one in the tour was agreeing that these are hands, I commented that I thought they looked like fires.

Also in the shelter is an example of Red Linear pictograph. The Late Archaic Period style is characterized by small stick figures engaged in various activities.

Kelly then says, I have saved the best for last" and then walks further down in the rock shelter. Then she directs us further downstream along the cave floor.

As we move to the final display area, I look up at the canyon and downstream notice some very large boulders on the canyon floor and comment how huge they are as I snap a photo.

Also, I turn around and look upstream and from here you can see the side canyon we climbed down and the path from there along the water edge to get here.

We all continue to the next display and Kelly waits until everyone arrives, then she tells us, You may notice the same thin line running from bottom left through the figure, to the upper right, Too, the central figures here are carrying the same accessories.

2017- Like the previous display, there is a display board showing what this next area looked like in the 1930′s.

And like in the previous display, the pictograph is faded, but much more of the color is still visible which makes with better photographs.

It would have been nice to have been here in the 1930′s. Nevertheless, when these first wayfarers come back in the resurrection, I hope to be there to have the opportunity to see more or their art work.