Eight enthusiastic GCAS members traveled to Velarde, New Mexico, in the upper Rio Grande Valley for guided tours of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project on two successive days. The MPPP has recorded over 80,000 petroglyph images along a 12-mile mesa that numerous cultures carved into basalt boulders beginning in the Archaic Period (7500 BCE – 1500 BCE) and continuing through the Historic Period (1598 CE – present).
The MPPP’s educational programs include guided tours to the public along a total of 9 different trails. Our group hiked under warm and sunny skies along two of those trails. We were rewarded with images of flute-playing animals and humans, assorted shield designs, Spanish horsemen and religious figures, and much more – many of which are completely different from petroglyph images in our own area.
Here on the left we see our MPPP guide Sandra and our field trip leader Eduardo contemplating the petroglyph nicknamed the Bird Woman. In the second photo we see Marianne pointing out that the upper circular image appears superimposed upon an earlier petroglyph of a humanoid figure.
Below, we see one of several flute-playing animals found along Mesa Prieta. A flute-playing animal is a petroglyphic image that is rarely if ever found at sites outside of Mesa Prieta.
Finally, our group examined a large skyward-facing boulder filled with Archaic symbols including at least two spirals, several cupules, and a number of zigzags and other geometric images.
Many thanks to our two friendly and professional MPPP guides Sandra and Star; and a special thanks to our very own Eduardo Argüello for working so hard to arrange such an exciting field trip for us!
Ken Driese, Marilyn Gendron, and Marianne Smith contributed the photos for this post. Thank you all!