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Petroglyph National Monument

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Petroglyph National Monument sits on the western side of Albuquerque west of the Rio Grande River. http://www.nps.gov/petr/

Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including volcanos, archeological sites and an estimated 20,000 carved images. Many of the images are recognizable as animals, people, brands and crosses; others are more complex. These images are inseparable from the cultural landscape, the spirits of the people who created, and who appreciate them. Native Americans made most of the images in North America. This is also true at Petroglyph National Monument, however some rock images within the monument were made by early Spanish settlers or Indians living in the area during the Colonial Period (A.D. 1540-1821). Some of the presumed Spanish influenced images depict horses, livestock brands, and Christian crosses.

Petroglyph National Monument was a fascinating place to visit. There are many symbols carved into the rocks. There are three places where it is possible to start an exploraton of the monument. I was able to go to Boca Negra Canyon and Rinconada Canyon. The former has a short trail where it is possible to see several hundred petroglyphs. The later is a 1.5 mile deep canyon where one can explore for others as well have a great view of Albuquerque.

There are many faux-petroglyphs which are modern-day grafitti. Once I saw the space ship and aliens I knew to be suspicious of the petroglyphs I had seen.

Some of the petroglyphs are along the path while others are further away.

In the time I travelled from Boca Negra Canyon to Rinconada Canyon, it went from a beautiful day to a cloudy and dark downpour. I waited in a shelter for about 45 minutes until the rain passed. Once the rocks were wet, it was a bit more difficult to locate the petroglyphs.