2007/03/08
Now That`s a Lot of Petroglyphs
Leaving Roswell, we head west towards the snow covered mountain — yup that`s right snow. The drive through a National Forest and Mescalero Apache Indian Reserve is beautiful and takes us through a range of mountains with a pass at over 7,500 feet. We drive past tall pine trees, huge ranches, Casinos, Ruidoso Downs (horse racing) and snow. Luckily, we are headed to Alamogordo a town in the basin between mountain ranges where there is no snow and the temperatures are warmer.
About 30 miles north of Alamogordo is the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, one of the few locations in the Southwest set aside solely because of its rock art. From the Bureau of Land Management website “The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting petroglyphs sites in the Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock.” The site was pretty amazing as we hiked up a trail and the glyphs were on rocks right beside us. The skeptic in me really wonders who actually did the glyphs and when.
The trees and snow from the truck window.
There were a lot of petroglyphs at this park.
This petroglyph was done on a rock edge giving the face a 3-D quality
This face even includes earings.
This bighorn sheep has arrows sticking in him.
Someone of them really make you wonder about the story they are telling.
This is a "photograph" of a UFO from the museum in Roswell........
This is a petroglyph...... hmmmm I wonder if........
Down the road from the Petroglyphs was this chapel that was built in 1911. You can't see it in the picture but there are mountains behind the church with crosses on them.
Sunset at the RV park.
About 30 miles north of Alamogordo is the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, one of the few locations in the Southwest set aside solely because of its rock art. From the Bureau of Land Management website “The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting petroglyphs sites in the Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock.” The site was pretty amazing as we hiked up a trail and the glyphs were on rocks right beside us. The skeptic in me really wonders who actually did the glyphs and when.
The trees and snow from the truck window.
There were a lot of petroglyphs at this park.
This petroglyph was done on a rock edge giving the face a 3-D quality
This face even includes earings.
This bighorn sheep has arrows sticking in him.
Someone of them really make you wonder about the story they are telling.
This is a "photograph" of a UFO from the museum in Roswell........
This is a petroglyph...... hmmmm I wonder if........
Down the road from the Petroglyphs was this chapel that was built in 1911. You can't see it in the picture but there are mountains behind the church with crosses on them.
Sunset at the RV park.
