Rock Art!

Today's excursion led me to Deer Valley Rock Art Center, where cultures of Arizona left their marks here between 500 and 7,000 years ago.  Rock art is a term used for designs made on rocks or on the earth’s surface.  Petroglyphs are designs made by carving or scratching away the dark layer of rock varnish on a rock’s surface to reveal the lighter rock underneath.  There are no universal explanations that can be applied to all petroglyphs.  Rock art may tell a story, mark a trail, have religious significance, ensure successful hunting or keep track of the seasons.  There are over 1,500 petroglyphs found here at the Center.

That being said, it is very awe-inspiring to stand on grounds that felt steeped in spirituality, knowing that hundreds of years ago, some tribe passed by here, maybe camped for a season, living off the land, and leaving their mark for others to find.  



The Hedgepeth Hills were a place for making rock art, but they were also a source for volcanic rock
which made their manos and metates. Manos are hand held grinding tools used to  crush grains and seeds against the surface of the metate. Metates are
flat, oval-shaped stones used as the grinding surface.



a bit of sunlight peeks through
a crack in the rock.
Look closely in the top left
corner and you will see
some petroglyphs.













No one knows for sure
what each symbol means
but they were important
enough to take the time
to create.






Looking at them,
you wonder what
story they were
trying to tell.










If you ever have a chance
to go look at petroglyphs,
make the time to do it.
I hope you would be as
awed and inspired
as I was.