Split-twig figurines found in Grand Canyon caves dating from 2000-4000 years ago. Each one is made from a single twig, often willow, split down the middle, and then carefully folded into animal shapes, often deer or bighorn sheep [1146×900]

[Grand Canyon National Park Flickr account](https://www.flickr.com/photos/grand_canyon_nps/5167547940/)

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. 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.