Fotos

Circular petroglyph in Saguaro National Park in Arizona, made by native American artists of Saguaro National Park who were called the Hohokam, which means "the vanished ones." They inhabited this area from 300 to 1450 AD, which qualifies as "ancient" for our country.

Petroglyphs are rock art that were etched (pecked or carved) into the rock surface. Experts don't really know if they had religious or ceremonial significance, were some kind of a solstice marker, or were simply pieces of art. These etchings were made with a sharp stone, either directly onto the rock, or pounded with another stone.

This photo is from about half an hour before sunset. It takes a 15-minute hike off the main path to find this spot and is not well-marked with signs, probably to keep people from disturbing it. I seem to remember reading that there are several impressive petroglyphs throughout this National Park.