Travel to Ancient Graffiti – New Mexico Petroglyphs
Posted in Family Fun, Historic, National Park, Scenery, Southwest, Travel | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Historic, Monuments, Scenery, Southwest, Travel
Today, those who leave graffiti as a reminder of their existence might use paint.
Centuries ago, scratching laboriously into stone surfaces with hand made tools, native people left designs we call petroglyphs. Scratched into the surface, Native Americans left behind images that can be easily figured out and some that are mysterious.
Human form
Protecting the legacy
In the 1970s, modern man decided it was time to protect this legacy of the ancients. Petroglyph State Park near Albuquerque, New Mexico was established, which later became Petroglyph National Monument under the protection of the US National Parks Service.
New Mexico Petroglyphs - Boca Negra Canyon
Interestingly, urban encroachment resulted in modern homes being built within easy view of the petroglyphs. (See photo with houses just beyond the rocks of Boca Negra Canyon in Petroglyph National Monument.)
Petroglyphs - artwork of ancients
Petroglyphs are found in many areas of the Western USA, but those in Petroglyph State Park are particularly prolific. Many of the etched designs have been dated to as long ago as the 12th century; some may even be 2,000-3,000 years old.
Shown in this blog are images that were particularly vivid. A human being with a design on the chest, a hand, and several animal forms are all right along the trail. The spiral design is one that has been interpreted to mean a whirlwind, life or even a snake; no one is quite sure what it meant to those who painstakingly etched it into the rock.
A hand
The partially paved paths reach up among the rocks and are not accessible for many of the petroglyphs. There are four paths with varying degrees of difficulty. At the top of one of the paths is a flat, rocky section where a panoramic view of the whole area is possible.
There is a visitor center two miles from Boca Negra Canyon with restrooms and information. When we visited, an artist was demonstrating his craft on the premises.
Visitor Center Hours – 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Open every day except New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day; they close early on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eves. There is no charge to visit the park.
Tomorrow -Taos; check out this Wednesday’s blog for some more modern graffiti.
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