Along seventeen miles of the escarpment west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the Rio Grande valley, an estimated 24,000 petroglyphs, images carved into rock by ancient Pueblo peoples are protected in this preserved park. I have read dates for these rock carvings as far back as 5,000 to as recent as 400 years ago. The National Monument was established in 1990.
Many Native groups, an estimated nineteen Pueblos and ten Tribes, have roots in this area. They still come to see the “messages” left by their ancestors, leave offerings, and perform ceremonies of dance and prayer.
One of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, the area is marked by piles and piles of basalt boulders due to volcanic activity long ago. Just one or several petroglyphs may appear on one rock. The rocks cover a much broader area than the trails maintained to view them access. So these carvings appear farther back than the tourist eye can see. I was surprised by the landscape, and by the difference between these images and the way that petroglyphs are generally seen in Colorado (link below). Many images are often carved in one flat rock there, perhaps telling a story or adding new pictures over time.
Desert animals, birds, snakes, hands and human figures, some with a headdress or a flute, are among the petroglyphs, as well as what are believed to be sun and water representations. Some of the images are ones that have been found on pottery or rugs. As I hiked down the trail closest to the Visitor Center, this image was the first I saw.
Click the arrows to scroll through the images
A hike in western Colorado to view petroglyphs: Dominguez Canyon
Southwest road trip: Road trip, Arches, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Chaco Canyon, Old Town Albuquerque, Petroglyph National Monument
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
I really enjoyed your photos and find petroglyphs fascinating. I have also hiked some of Dominguez Canyon and have seen some of the ones you photographed. I read the book called Tracing Time by Craig Childs, a local author, about the rock art in the Colorado Plateau. It was quite interesting. Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome! I’m glad this post resonated with you. Petroglyphs make me think about the lives of the people who lived there and left those images, unaware, I’m sure, that we would be finding them so many years later. I’ll have to look for that book.
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