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Petroglyphs are pecked or abraided marks made on rocks in the landscape. Other terms for petroglyphs are "rock writing" and "rock art". The petroglyphs in this gallery, created by the Hohokam Indians, are located in White Tank Mountain Regional Park, west of Phoenix, Arizona. Some of the petroglyphs may approach 10,000 years old.
Eleven archaeological sites, occupied between 500 and 1100 AD, have been located within the Park. All of these sites can be attributed to the Hohokam Indians. The White Tanks were apparently abandoned by the Hohokam about 1100 AD. There is no further indication of human occupation until historic time, when the Western Yavapai controlled the area.
Hohokam Style (also called Gila Style) petroglyphs are associated with people living in Southern Arizona from 300 to 1450 AD. Both abstract and representational elements were pecked into stone. Elements include human and animal figures, artifacts and geometric designs. A rock drawing was serious business to its maker. While no one can say precisely what most of them mean, we know they had important functions in the lives of their makers. The symbols recorded events and marked locations. They were a magical way to control nature so rain would fall or mountain sheep would let themselves be caught. Some served as trail markers and maps. Others represented religious concepts.
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