Rock art is beautiful to look at and fascinating to think about what the images represent. This photo is one of the many rock art images that you can see on our Indian Paintings Tour. It is a petroglyph chiseled over an ancient pictograph. Petroglyphs and pictographs represent two distinctive methods for producing rock art. Petroglyphs are carved into an exposed rock surface, while pictographs are painted onto those surfaces. The two methods require different materials and the creation of petroglyphs requires more time and effort.
The rock art was created centuries ago by the natives that visited this area. It is unique because the petroglyph is actually chiseled over the pictograph. This technique is not usually found in rock art sites and it is the only known site in the Grand Canyon area that has this type of superimposition.
The subject material looks like it could be a depiction of a deer or an elk. It is a mystery of what it symbolizes but it could be a hunting scene or possibly even a talisman created for good luck. What do you think it looks like?