<p>Some of the most facinating artifacts found here in the Grand Canyon are split-twig figurines.
</p><p>Each one is made from a single twig, often willow, split down the middle, and then carefully folded into animal shapes.
</p><p>These figurines date from 2,000 to 4,000 years ago and were found in remote caves. 
</p><p>Often they are in the shape of deer or bighorn sheep, sometimes with horns or antlers. Occasionally, they are pierced with another stick, resembling a spear, or are stuffed with artiodactyl dung. Split-twig figurines have been found in dry caves in the Great Basin and on the Colorado Plateau, and were first recognized in the Grand Canyon in 1933. 
</p><p>--While their exact function remains a mystery, recent research suggests that split-twig ----figurines were totems associated with the Late Archaic hunting and gathering culture. Their occurrence in remote, relatively inaccessible uninhabited caves indicates that these figurines were not toys. They are usually found under rock cairns, indicating careful placement.
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NPS Photo, Grand Canyon National Park Museum Collection, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
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