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Petroglyph National Monument
Reaching out along 17 miles of
volcanic basalt, the Petroglyph National Monument, contains some
25,000 ancient carvings, known as petroglyphs, along the West Mesa
region of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In June, 1990, this 7,236 acres
site has been cooperatively managed by the National Park Service and
the city. The west side of the mesa shows a chain of dormant fissure
volcanoes, that include the JA volcano, Butte volcano, Bond, Vulcan
and Black volcanoes; as well as hundreds of archeological sites and
the petroglyphs that were carved by the Ancestrial Pueblo people and
first Spanish settlers. The majority of these magnificent images
look like people, crosses, brands and animals; with many being so
complex that the meaning could only be told by the original artist
and are part of the cultural heritage of these native inhabitants
that lived here so many centuries ago. For whatever reasons, these
peoples moved into other areas, only to be lost among the many
tribes that covered this region so long ago. The monument has been
created to conserve, manage and protect these beautiful carvings so
that the generations today and in the future can come here and
explore the superb markings. The entire monument is intended to be
used as a recreational area, and it has been created and maintained
for those reasons. The visitor's center was the former home of Dr.
Sophie Aberle, who was the first practicing applied anthropologist
in the nation, and became known as the "measuring lady" by the
tribes that she worked among. Her research into the native peoples
were focused mainly on the women's part in the lifestyles of this
wonderful people, including child care, pregnancy and child birth,
healing and diet. She was the Superintendent of the United Pueblo
Agency, which allowed her to improve the lives of those native
Americans under the agency's authority, as well as helping to better
the conditions of their lives. The awesome petroglyphs aren't
the only sights that you can enjoy at the monument, as there are a
bounty of plants and animals, volcanoes and miles of great hiking or
biking. Along the thin corridor, you can encounter birds, insects,
animals and plants that have been part of the entire ecosystem for
centuries, that include the millipedes of petroglyph. There are a
few different varieties of rattlesnakes located here and by going to
the visitor center first, you can learn about these creatures and
the location of all the fantastic petroglyphs. You can visit the
cores of the volcanoes and walk along the remains of their action
that has created the basalt that became the foundation of the
carvings and the landscapes.
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