Ancient Art in a Remote Nevada Landscape

The Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area lies in the remote high desert of eastern Nevada. As I approach the site, my sensors detect long, jagged ridges running north to south. These ridges mark the edge of an ancient volcanic caldera. In a wide open area, they give way to a rocky outcropping where the Hickison Petroglyphs can be found. The site is a collection of hundreds of carvings on rocks that remain unexplained even today. Some are complex and detailed, while others are simple marks that are believed to have been made by Native Americans over the last 10,000 years. The carvings depict animals, humans, and numerous symbols. My analysis revealed that the petroglyphs probably contain a map of the area pointing towards the availability of water sources. It is exciting that there is still so much to learn about these ancient communications.