Blythe Intaglios
USA · Americas
Giants asleep in the desert pavement, unseen until an airplane wandered overhead in 1932
Age
~800–2,900 yrs
Period
Patayan / Yuman
Setting
Open-air
Art form
Geoglyphs
Discovered
1932
Status
Open (BLM Site)
Scraped into the dark desert pavement near the Colorado River, the Blythe geoglyphs include three human giants — the largest over fifty metres long — with animal figures and a spiral. Radiocarbon dates span roughly 900 BC to AD 1200, and the figures are tied to the creation stories of the Yuman-speaking peoples of the river, for whom this ground remains sacred. A pilot spotted them from the air in 1932.
Notable Features
- ◦ The 52 m human giant
- ◦ Twin quadruped figures
- ◦ Desert-pavement spiral
Depicted Subjects
Giant Human FiguresAnimalsSpirals
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.