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Una Vida Petroglyphs

Una Vida Petroglyphs

Shortly after arriving in Chaco Canyon last month, we hiked up to the Una Vida Great House near the visitor’s center. Una Vida is in a near-natural state of preservation with no major vandalism, and with only minor excavations and preservation repairs. Time and the forces of nature have collapsed the roofs. Walls have fallen. Centuries of blowing sand have covered the rooms with a protective blanket of sand.

A short walk up the slope behind Una Vida will take you to a few petroglyph panels. This is one of the better panels that we found in the park. I actually ended up returning to the panel later in the evening so that I could photograph this site bathed in the warmer late evening sunlight.

>> Long Weekend in Chaco Canyon

1054 Supernova Pictograph

1054 Supernova Pictograph

Some believe that this pictograph panel in Chaco Canyon represents the supernova that created the Crab Nebula on July 4, 1054. It was a nice hike to reach this rock art site on the way to Penasco Blanco.

>> Long Weekend in Chaco Canyon

Turkey Over Chaco

Turkey Over Chaco

Since I just finished my Chaco Canyon trip report over on myXJ.net I thought I would post up one of my favorite rock art photos from the trip.

This bird-like petroglyph that looks like a turkey watches over Chaco Canyon and Fajada Butte as the sun gets ready to drop below the horizon near Una Vida. I had visited this petroglyph earlier in the day and knew that I would have to return at sunset for this shot.

>> Long Weekend in Chaco Canyon