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Treasure Hunt

Can you guess what Jan and Allen are looking for? Is it a bird? A plane? A superman? No, it is the work of some artists from about a thousand years ago.

Deer Valley Rock Art

Not far from Allen and Barbara's home in Phoenix is an interesting small outdoor museum of Petroglyphs. For those who don't know, a petroglyph is a symbol scratched into the so-called desert varnish that covers many rocks in the southwestern deserts.

Deer Valley Rock Art

There is lots of work still to do to decipher such rock art, but present-day American Indians recognize at least some of the symbols from their own rites and rituals.

Deer Valley Rock Art

We spent a fascinating couple of hours at the site on a blisteringly hot day in July. The site is run as an Arizona State Park, and has an indoor as well as an outdoor museum with lots of interesting exhibits about Indian rock art.

Ranger with Rock Art

This friendly ranger helped us out a lot both in finding the glyphs and understanding how they were found, preserved, and studied right here in Phoenix.

Deer Valley Rock Art

Seeing the glyphs from a distance is sometimes difficult and made more so by the sun when it's high in the sky. Early morning and late afternoon sun make it easier to see the shapes.