Published On: Mar 09, 2007
3711 West Deer Valley Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85287
The Deer Valley Art Rock Center is operated by the Arizona State University's Department of Anthropology - the School of Human Evolution & Social Change. The Center has preserved more than 1,500 petroglyphs on over 600 rocks or boulders. Research on the site is still ongoing and fresh information about the petroglyphs continues to grow.
The petroglyphs are symbols or drawings that have been created in ancient times through the mechanism of scratching or etching through the so-called desert varnish, a kind if thin veneer, that coats rocks in the dry arid desert conditions of the region.
The petroglyphs were created over a long time period. The petroglyphs were started around 10,000 years ago by the pre-Archaic Indian people, the Hohokam. More recently, up to about 700 years ago, the petroglyphs were being made by the archaic people, the Patayan.
Deer Valley Art Rock Center lies north of Phoenix at the Hedgpeth Hills in a 47-acre site. The valley lies on an ancient trade route. The meaning of the petroglyphs is unknown, but it is supposed that they depict scenes of hunting and meetings with other tribes. They may also have a relationship to the people's religion of the era, or possibly to some astronomical significance. It is most likely that they relate to a greater or lesser degree in some way to all of these.
Occasionally the petroglyphs appear to be telling a story. The pictures have been carved in a set series, rather like frames in a roll of film, that unfold a tale that was considered important enough to be included in the permanent record.
Deer Valley Art Rock Center is one of the more interesting museums in Phoenix. It is one of many family friendly attractions in Phoenix and represents and excellent and highly educational day out. The Hedgpeth Hills site faces east towards the rising sun and is a place where several water courses meet. This may have led the ancient Indian peoples to regard the place as sacred, which became a concept that was carried on by many succeeding generations.
The indoor facility at the Center has an instructional video, which to be fair can only speculate about the origin and meaning of the petroglyphs. There are also a variety of exhibits available indoors for viewing.
The outdoor part has a marked trail of about a quarter of a mile that leads the visitor through the greatest concentration of petroglyph-marked boulders. Self-guided tours are possible with the aid of the printed materials available for this purpose. And large groups as well as school groups can take advantage of the arranged guided tours.
The Deer Valley Art Rock Center is a wonder of geology. It is thought provoking and educational about an important ancient people who are now almost forgotten. The Center is open every day and is an excellent inexpensive family day out. It is a great place to speculate on the meanings of the various symbols. For example, the spiral symbol is thought to represent the sun, but no one knows for certain. You ideas are as valid as anyone's!
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