Petroglyphs

My favorite petroglyph at the Pertoglyph National Monument, Albuquerque, NM is the macaw. I love the simple free lines, and yet enough detail in the tail and wing to evoke movement; It is two dimensional, yet I expect it to morph into three dimensions and flutter off the rock at any moment. I am fascinated by the exotic bird trade from South to North America; the idea of these intelligent birds being carried across hundreds of miles of desert, companions to their bearers, and placed at such a value as to be traded for turquoise, silver, gold, or other precious stones. The feathers themselves were sacred and beautiful, bright adornments from the southern jungles to the dry muted mountains of New Mexico . . .

Another group of petroglyphs I like, also from the Petroglyph National Monument, are the curly Navajo sheep. They have an amazing amount of detail considering the medium, and more than a utilitarian aspect about them; I feel that these particular sheep were familiar enough to the shepherd to be recreated in leisure hours upon the varnished surface of the lava rock with an effortless grace and love and humour.

The Mountain Lion Petroglyph is located in the Arizona Petrified Forest. I love the impact of this piece! The claws, the long tail thrashing above its body, and yet the lack of teeth! It is quite a large design, upon a thick. flat slab of desert varnished stone. Powerful in its elegance . . .