Three Rivers Petroglyphs, New Mexico

Petroglyphs are basically rock art; images carved or drawn onto rocks or cave walls, usually during prehistoric times. I’ve been to several petroglyph sites over the years, spread across Europe and North America, including several in Hawaii and the Caribbean.

One of the most impressive, and certainly the most extensive, collection of petroglyphs I’ve seen so far is at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site in New Mexico, between Tularosa and Carrizozo. Across this 50 acre expanse of desert literally thousands of petroglyphs are preserved.

View across the desert from the ridge at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site

In 2012, we spent a wonderful couple of hours hiking around a small ridge within the area protected by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The hillsides are strewn with rocks and boulders, most of which are covered with petroglyphs.

With some friends at Three Rivers

The artwork at Three Rivers belongs to the Jornada Mogollon people. The drawings were created over a 400-500 year period, between 900 and 1400 AD.

The harsh desert conditions coat any exposed rocks with a dark-coloured ‘patina’, which the artists scraped off to produce lighter-coloured designs.

Many of the carvings are geometric patterns, some of which are quite intricate.

In addition, there are over 21,000 petroglyphs (yes, that should say twenty-one thousand!) depicting insects, plants, fish…

Fish-shaped design filled with geometric patterns

…Birds…

Is it a bird? Yes, I think it is!

…Mammals…

A sheep

Another sheep, this one stuck with what look like arrows

Yet another sheep

A second skewered critter, probably another sheep

A square, chequered animal with baubles?

…And even humans.

A human face (on the left)

A whole human figure

This image of a head uses a natural nodule in the rock as the eye

This image is particularly lifelike

Stick figures

But this was my favourite:

Who knew that herds of giraffes roamed the deserts of North America a thousand years ago?!

This post was inspired by the photo themes Symbol from Jen (Daily Post), Pattern from Paula (Lost in Translation) and, of course, Jo’s Monday Walk.

If like me, you’re captivated by the beauty and mystery of petroglyphs like these, why not sign up and follow my continuing Journeys here at Jaspa’s Journal (on WordPress or Bloglovin’), or through my website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr?

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