Frijoles Canyon Petroglyphs

Though out Frijoles Canyon are numerous petroglyphs, designs carved into the stone. The ones presented here are located along the park trail. Most of them are located above the Long House complex. It would have been fairly easy for someone to stand on the tops of the dwellings and carve these figures into the rock. Unfortunately, the soft tuff rock easily erodes and many of the drawings have become difficult to see or have disappeared all together.

There was no formal written language among the Puebloans; consequently, we can only speculate about what the people were trying to say. Some of the meanings of the figures are known among modern day Indians and are important to them.

Among the petroglyphs are figures of people, animals, birds, lightning and other various shapes. These drawings had some meaning. What were the Pueblo Indians trying to say?

People

Animals and Birds

Shapes