"Rock art" can be broken down into two groups: petroglyphs and pictographs.  Petroglyphs (Greek for "stone carving") are pictures carved in stone, usually made by chipping away mineral deposits on the surface of sandstone ("desert varnish") with a sharp stone.  Pictographs (Latin for "paint" + Greek for "drawing")  are paintings on rock from natural compunds, dyes ancient Native Americans derived from their surrpoundings.  Typically, petroglyphs last much longer than pictographs, especially on stone that is exposed to the elements, so pictographs are always a valuable find.

    The rock art pictured below comes from different locations in Arizona and Utah.  The Southern Arizona rock art here comes from the Hohokam; the Utah rock art comes from the Anasazi or Ancestral Puebloans (two terms for the same people).

    Just east of Sedona, the old V-Bar-V Ranch holds one of the largest petroglyph panels in existence.  Thousands of symbols crowd this rock face.  Rather than try to squeeze them all in, I've included my favorite details.  I have to say, the saguaro petroglyph is my favorite.  Photographed May 2003.
 
 

Ironwood Forest National Monument

    This new park outside Tucson is full of Hohokam petroglyphs, largely unprotected.  Hopefully, its anonymity will protect these sites until the BLM or the National Park Service provide services to protect these areas.  Photographed November 2002.
 
 

Natural Bridges National Monument

    Natural Bridges National Monument is located not far from Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Moab, Utah.  In addition to the impressive stone structures that give the park its name, the park is home to Anasazi pictographs and cliff dwellings.  The kivas and pictographs below are sheltered by the same sandstone wall that formed Kachina Bridge.  As convenient as this park is to the other attractions near Moab, it is not nearly as popular as its larger cousins.  Bad news for the tour bus crowds -- good news for you.  Photographed February 2002.
 

Saguaro National Park

    These Hohokam petroglyphs are located on Signal Hill in the western section of the park.  Photographed October 2001.
 
 

Picacho Peaks Petroglyph Site

    Although this Hohokam site is not far from Picacho Peak State Park as the crow flies, it is not accessible by the same set of roads that leads to the park -- in fact, it's on the other side of the canal.  What canal? Exactly.  Photographed August 2003.
 
 

Millville Petroglyph Site

    This Hohokam petroglyph site is located in the San Padro Riparian Conservation Area and is protected by the Bureau of Land Management.  The site is immediately adjacent to the most substantial ruins of Millville, and is just across the San Pedro River from the town of Charleston.  Photographed May 2003.