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What Is Rock Art?

Rock art is markings, either painted (pictographs) or engraved (petroglyphs) on the surface of rock or geoglyphs (large figures produced by either removing the surface of the ground or alignments of stone on the surface of the ground). Rock art potentially gives a unique understanding of the world view and culture of those who created it.

Rock art is worldwide, and is one of the most visible remains of past human activity. The most famous examples of rock art are the painted caves of Europe or the paintings of the Australian Aborigines. Although different from these, Nevada's rock art is equally significant and deserves to be documented, protected and brought to the attention of a wider audience so we may understand our role in the evolution of our past.

Nevada's increasing population threatens the existence of many of these archaeological sites. The natural elements and the public's lack of understanding are washing away our past. This is an opportunity to become a pioneer in recording our history - the history of Nevada, an ancient history, which dates back to long before the Egyptian Pyramids were built.

Why Save Rock Art?

The ancient people of North America left no written records of their cultures. For us to gain an understanding of what happened here in ancient times, we rely on clues these early Americans left behind in the remains of their villages, monuments, and artifacts.

Over the past few decades, the knowledge and methods of modern archaeology have advanced tremendously. Today, researchers use technologies such as radiocarbon and tree-ring dating, ground penetrating radar, pollen analysis, and trace-element analysis to glean information from the archaeological record. Few of these technologies existed 50 years ago. For this reason, it is important that we keep a significant record of our rock art sites so that archaeologists and scientists in the future, with even more advanced knowledge and technologies, will have access to it.

Rock art is one of the most ubiquitous records of past human action. Archaeologists still lack the clues that might someday solve the mysteries of the first Americans. By permanently preserving and recording important cultural sites, the Nevada Rock Art Foundation makes sure they will be available for all.