Photography reveals eroded Appalachian soapstone petroglyphs. Petroglyphs in northern Georgia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee are carved on soft soapstone that erodes easily over thousands of years Taking photos of stone surfaces makes carved images more visible due to how phone cameras compress images Using a flashlight at night to cast shadows along stone surfaces is another method to detect glyphs
Photographing soapstone surfaces reveals eroded petroglyphs across northern Georgia, North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. Phone cameras compress images so faint carvings become visible, while nighttime flashlights casting shadows help detection. Sadly, some marks are modern graffiti rather than ancient art.
Key Facts
- Petroglyphs in northern Georgia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee are carved on soft soapstone that erodes easily over thousands of years
- Taking photos of stone surfaces makes carved images more visible due to how phone cameras compress images
- Using a flashlight at night to cast shadows along stone surfaces is another method to detect glyphs
- Some marks on the stones appear to be modern vandalism or graffiti rather than ancient
Source: Exploring Forgotten Appalachia & Ancient Caves of Central America (Supercut) by Luke Caverns