Petroglyph National Monument: Rock Art

A cairn found in Cohab Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park.

Frank and Anne's Canyon Country Hiking and Camping Notebook.

Petroglyph National Monument

Campsite

This page contains a discussion of the rock art found in Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico. All photographs are from our our personal collection. If you'd like to see more rock art from this location, or if you'd like to see higher resolution or larger images, send us an e-mail message and we'll see what we can do.

Rock Art

There are three main units of this Monument where petroglyphs are on display for viewing by the public. Each one seems to have unique examples of the Rio Grande Style, as well as elements that are common to all of the sites. All of the work is carved into black basalt boulders that have tumbled down a steep slope. Often the carving is shallow and sometimes difficult to see due to repatination and the angle of the sun. This is a site that should be visited more than once, at different times of the year and under different lighting conditions, especially for photography.

For more information on how to preserve and protect these priceless historic treasures:

See American Antiquities Act of 1906.
See Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.
Archaeological Resources Protection Act Hotline: 800-227-7286.
See Archaeological Site Etiquette.

The main image at the top of this page appears to show a shield with legs and a partial Thunderbird. There may be a head at the top of the shield, as we've seen in other similar images, but it is difficult to tell on this example.

To the right is an anthropomorph from the Rinconada Canyon Unit that is quite elaborate, showing all facial features, a crown-like head piece, fingers on the hands, and it looks like the figure is wearing some sort of a tunic.

	This owl-like zoomorph is from the Piedras Marcadas Canyon Unit. In this area there were many similar images that have the extended line across the top of the circle that could represent the flattened ears of an owl. Otherwise, this may represent some sort of ceremonial mask.

This image is also from Rinconada Canyon. The collection of figures on this rock surface appear to represent a serpent of some sort, an anthropomorph or zoomorph stick figure, what appears to be a mountain lion, and a typical Rio Grande Style face in the lower right. Some believe that the open mouth in a circular face such as this represents a singer or chanter.

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More Rock Art

All of these photos have been resized and manipulated in Photoshop to give the best representation of the image. Some color distortion is inevitable. If you would like to see higher quality versions of these shots, or if you would like to use these images for any purpose, please contact us and we would be glad to help if we can.

Boca Negra Canyon
Cliff Base Trail
Anthropomorphs
Big Nosed Anthropomorph Face with Big Ears Face with Feathered Plumes Figure with Hat In Gunslinger Stance	Mask 1 Mask 2 Mask with Big Ears With Large and Small Head Plume
Geometric Designs
Circle with Arrow Circles and Lines Concentric Circles Geometric Design 1 Geometric Design 2 Geometric Design 3 Geometric Designs 1	Geometric Designs 2 Mask with Maize Shooting Star with Face Spiral with Other Objects White Star Yellow Star
Panels
Anthropomorph Copulating with Zoomorph Two Zoomorphs, One Standing on Zoomorph
Zoomorphs
Goose Long Tailed Zoomorph Snake
Macaw Trail
Geometric Design Macaw Mixed Panel	Yucca Pod 1 Yucca Pod 2
Mesa Point Trail
Anthropomorphs
Face with Four Horns Face with Large Nose Face with Snake Filled Circle with Horns Kachina 1	Large Hand Several Anthropomorphs Wearing a Mask With Hand Head With Three Legs
Geometric Designs
Circle Comet Cross (Hollow) Geometric Design 1 Geometric Design 2 Geometric Design 3 Geometric Design 4	Geometric Design 5 Geometric Design 6 Geometric Designs Plant Blossom Solid Star Spanish Brand Two Stars
Panels
Face and Zoomorph Mixed Panel 1 Spiral, Parrot, and Other Objects	Zoomorph, Face, and Comet Zoomorph and Geometric Design Zoomorphs and Snake
Zoomorphs
Bear Paw Critter with Spiral Tail Dog-like Critter Dragonfly Duck Insect Long-necked Bird Long-necked Critter	Long-tailed Critter Three-legged Critter Thunderbird 1 Thunderbird 2 Toad Tropical Bird Two Facing Parrots Unidentifiable Critter

Piedras Marcadas Canyon
Anthropomorphs
Face with Arrow Hair Face with Big Ears 1 Face with Big Ears 2 Face with Big Ears and Head Gear Face with Feathery Headdress Face with Head Plumes Face with Rabbit Ears Face with Single Head Plume Face with Triangular Head Gear Face with Weeping Eyes Faces with Other Objects Figure, Hand Print, and Round Face Figure with Crossed Body and Large Arms Figure with Square Body Hand Print with Long Fingers	Hand Prints with Lizards Head with Hair Spikes Kachina Kokopelli Many Hand Prints 1 Many Hand Prints 2 Masked Face with Head Plumes Round Face Stick Figure Three Hand Prints Two Round Faces Two Round Faces with Necks Unidentifiable Figure Waving Figure
Geometric Designs
Circle with Spanish Cross Geometric Design 1 Geometric Design 2 Geometric Design 3 Geometric Design 4 Geometric Design 5 Geometric Design 6 Geometric Design 7 Geometric Designs 1 Geometric Designs 2 Geometric Designs 3	Geometric Designs 4 Spanish Brands Spanish Designs Spanish Letters Square with Corn and Bird on Top Star with Face 1 Star with Face 2 Star with Face 3 Three Similar Geometric Designs Tight Spiral
Panels
Circle with Owl Face Face with Geometric Designs Face with Zoomorph Hand Print with Zoomorphs Mixed Panel 1	Mixed Panel 2 Mixed Panel 3 Mixed Panel 4 Spanish Cross and Kokopelli Zoomorph and Anthropomorph
Zoomorphs
Bird 1 Bird 2 Bird Prints Bird with Large Foot Horned Toad Lizard Long-tailed Zoomorph 1 Long-tailed Zoomorph 2 Owl Face 1 Owl Face 2 Owl Face 3 Owl Face 4	Several Owl Faces Six Legged Critter Toucan Two Parrots Two Zoomorphs 1 Two Zoomorphs 2 Zoomorph Feeding Anthropomorph Zoomorph 1 Zoomorph 2 Zoomorph 3 Zoomorph 4 Zoomorphs

Rinconada Canyon
Anthropomorphs
Brown Face with Single Feather Dough Boy, Waving Face on Edge 1 Face on Edge 2 Face on Edge with Round Mouth 1 Face on Edge with Round Mouth 2 Face with Big Ears and Crewcut Face with Sharp Teeth and Bird on Head Figure Holding Plant and Lightning Figure with Bird Wing Arms Figure with Feathered Head Plume Figure with Hands on Hips Four Figures Kachina Head Large-bodied Figure with Large Right Foot Large, Medium, and Small Figure Legless Figure Waving Male Figure Shooting Arrow Masked Face with Feather Masked Face with Long Horns Picasso Style Face	Profile Figure with Clutching Arms Round Face Round Faced Female Figure Round Face with Large Nose and Fringe Round Face with Natural Stone Eyes and Mouth Round Face with Several Feathers Sitting Figure with Bird on Head Smiling Face Square Face Square Figure with Bear Paw Right Leg Square Head Waving Figure Square Mask with Feather Stick Figure Triangular Face with Feather Triangular Face with Three Feathers Two Round Faces Unidentifiable Anthropomorph Walking Stick Figure Waving Figure White Figure, Upper Torso and Raised Arms
Geometric Designs
Circle with Extensions Circle with Internal Triangles Circle with Radiating Arms Circle with Radiating Arms and White Dots Circle with White Dots Concentric Circles Attached to Stick Figure Concentric Circles with Hand Crossed Circle and Concentric Circle Dots Forming Geometric Pattern Geometric Design 1 Geometric Design 2 Geometric Design 3 Geometric Design 4 Geometric Design 5 Geometric Design 6 Geometric Design 7 Geometric Design 8 Geometric Design with Legs	Mixed Circles and Lines Mixed Geometric Designs Mixed Panel of Designs Random White Dots Several Geometric Designs 1 Several Geometric Designs 2 Shield with Cross Spanish Brand Spanish Brand with Cross Spiral with Ball on End Spiral with Other Objects Square Made of Dots Two Rakes Two Rattles and Circle Two Spanish Crosses Two Spanish Crosses and Brand Y Shaped Image
Panels
Anthropomorph with Crossed Square Anthropomorph with Three Zoomorphs Anthropomorph with Zoomorphs Circle with Snake Edge Face with Various Zoomorphs Faces, Feet, and Birds Face with Snake Mixed Panel 1 Mixed Panel 2	Mixed Panel 3 Mixed Panel 4 Mixed Panel 5 Mixed Panel 6 Mixed Panel 7 Shield with Legs and Thunderbird Thunderbird, Dove, and Foot Two Faces and More
Zoomorphs
Bear Paw Bear Paw and More Bird Bird Feet Bird with Long Circular Beak Bird with Long Tail Bird with Spiral Body Bird with Toad Dog Fat Horned Toad Flying Bird Lizard Mountain Lion Semi-circular Bird	Several Sheep with Snake Sheep, Mother and Young One Six Toed Bear Paw Snake Snake with Coyote Snake with Large Head Snake with Large Head and Arms Snake with Coiled Body Thunderbird 1 Thunderbird 2 Thunderbird 3 Two Sheep with Snake Unusual Four-legged Critter

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This page was last updated Monday, June 15, 2009

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