Maddin Creek Rock Art Site - 23WA26

This site is on protected land, difficult to reach, and not open to the public.

The Maddin Creek rock art site, also called the Cresswell Site, belongs to the "Big Five" group defined by Diaz-Granados as comprising Washington State Park A, Washington State Park B, Wallen Creek, Three Hills Creek, and Maddin Creek. The site was discovered in 1939 by Frank Magre, a pioneer in the study of Missouri rock art. The Maddin Creek site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1971. A detailed map of the various panels was prepared by Frank Magre, Father Benedict Ellis and Father Johnathon Schneider. The style and motifs of the Maddin Creek rock art site date to approximately AD 1200 - 1700. Magre mapped 238 individual petroglyphs at the site including 2 birds, 28 thunderbirds, 8 sets of turkey tracks, 17 snakes, 8 human foot prints, 4 circles, 11 bi-lobed arrows, 22 phallic signs, 7 female genitilia, 20 human figures, 4 hands, and 2 crosses.

Boulder with several petroglyphs photographed at the Maddin Creek Site by Douglas Porter, a member of the Missouri Archaeological Society, during March of 2018. A chalked version of this panel at the Maddin Creek site was originally published by Wellman (1979:Figure 796) who described the scene on the lower edge as "two round-headed warriors faceing each other with bows and arrows." The larger figure wears a feather bonnet headdress and points how bow to the right. The second figure is unfortunately in a shadow betwenn the larger igure and a very prominent pit and groove petroglyph. Diaz-Granados and Duncan (2000:Plate 7) also identify this scene as "Archers in Combat."

Closeup of an open hand petroglyph on a large boulder at the Maddin Creek Site photographed at the Madden Creek Site by Douglas Porter during March of 2018.

Closeup of a petroglyphs of two archers in combat at the Maddin Creek Site. The legs of the smaller, second archer are visible. Photographed by Douglas Porter during March of 2018.

Closeup of petroglyphs including a animal running right to left on a large boulder at the Maddin Creek Site. Photographed by Douglas Porter during March of 2018.

Line drawing of a petroglyph panel at the Maddin Creek Site. Original drawing by Frank Magre from a projected 35 mm slide and retracing by Steve Teczar in 1969 in preparation for the National Register nomination of the site. This drawing was used in the documentation portion of the National Register nomination.

Line drawing of a petroglyph panel at the Maddin Creek Site. This drawing was prepared by Steve Teczar in 1969 from a 35 mm slide taken by Frank Magre; the drawing was made for the National Register nomination of the site. This panel has been identified as the Heroic Victory of the twins of Morning Star over a giant (Diaz-Granados and Duncan 2004: 146, Figure 9.3). A riverlet of blood flows from the mortal wound and the giant's mutilated giant's tongue and genitalia lay beside his torso. The giant's rib cage has been trampled/crushed by the twins. Each twin brandishes a weapon and each wears a distinctive warrior's headdress (the bi-lobed arrow and the tri-lobed mace). The red and charcoal gray colorization is a modern speculation on how the petroglyphs "might" have been painted.

Photograph taken in 2018 by Doug Porter and outlined with photoshop showing one of the two hero twins from the Heroic Victory panel.

Chalked Heroic Victory panel at Maddin Creek rock art site. (Slide taken in the 1980s by Richard E. Martens, Vice President of the Missouri Archaeological Society).

Professors Michael Fuller and Walter Clark (St. Louis Community College) visited the site with a group of anthropology students from St. Louis Community College during the early 1980s. Frank Magre was our guide to the site and brought a copy of his hand drawn plan of the petroglyphs. Scanned portions of Magre's map of the rock art include the famous design that he interpreted as a woman giving birth to multiple children. Plan of Maddin Creek rock art panel interpreted as the birth of multiple children.

Plan of Maddin Creek rock art site showing birds and ceremonial axes.

Plan of Maddin Creek rock art site showing a cross in circle design as well as several bi-lobed arrows.

Plan of Maddin Creek rock art site showing plants and men.

Dick Martens, a Board Member of the Missouri Archaeological Society, has kindly lent a set of color slides from his visit to the site with Frank Magre on April 19, 1970. On that visit, Frank had chalked the designs. Carol Diaz-Granados visited the site with Frank Magre during her dissertation research (Diaz-Granados and Duncan 2000) in the 1980s.