Sunday, October 26, 2014

PETROGLYPH N. M.


Over the period of two days we visited this small and quite new (1990) National Monument. The monument is located within the city of Albuquerque, and is surrounded in areas by housing developments.

 
I enjoyed two sunrises from the West side of the Monument, and exploring two areas of petroglyphs: 

Boca Negra Canyon:

A Humble Sunrise


One must keep an eye out for...










Morning at Vulcan Vocano:

Vulcan Peak

Another View

Lichen on Basalt

Another View

Piedras Marcadas Canyon:







  
This area is surrounded by a residential area and is a nice respite from city life. regrettably there is quite a bit of evidence that a number of petroglyphs have been lifted from the rock surfaces. In order to see lots of the images one has to climb up and over lots of rocks. When you explore the area you need to be careful not to touch the rock art as that can lead to an deterioration of the art. As you will see, the boulders can be a good size and one need to be careful of where you put your hands and feet.  

Regrettably there has been vandalism at all of the sites in the past. Part of the problem is the question of who has jurisdiction over enforcing any regulations: The City of Albuquerque, the National Park Service, or the State of New Mexico. Hopefully the area will be preserved in its entirety.

There were an abundance of petroglyphs at each canyon and many more in other areas of the park.



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