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Near Navajo Dam New Mexico |
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Petroglyph wall art available through JerryMcElroy.com |
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Dating the Rock Art
Although it is difficult to establish an exact age of rock art, some
dating clues are easily identified. For example, whenever a horse
and rider is depicted, we know the date to be after A.D. 1540 when
the Spaniards reintroduced the horse to the New World. The presence
of bows and arrows is presumed to indicate a date after A.D. 500,
the generally accepted time period for their appearance in this region.
For purposes of this guide, time periods are broken into generalized
categories relating to the people believed to have made them.
Taking Care of Rock Art Sites
Rock art sites on federal lands are nationally protected areas. The
art is extremely fragile, once damaged the site can never be repaired
to its original condition. Please avoid even touching the rock surface.
Surprising as it may seem, the oils in a single hand print can chemically
affect the rock surface. Take care so that others may marvel at these
fragile and beautiful remains of the past. You will see evidence of
vandalism such as bullet impacts, names and dates incised on the rock
surface, remains of latex molds and chalk marks. Do not attempt to
remove any form of vandalism, including signatures, dates and names.
Site repair requires technical expertise and can be made more difficult
by the good intentions of those without highly developed skills.
