Prehistoric rock art
in the Wyoming Black Hills

In this panel several human figures are interacting with a group of animals which appear to be deer.

A wider view of panel 1. These sandstone petroglyphs are believed to have survived over 5000 years of natural erosion.

A large panel showing a variety of game animals, including deer and pronghorn antelope.

This is a more detailed view of the previous panel.

Depictions of an adult and a juvenile pronghorn.

Several more pronghorn.

These carvings, approximately 15' above the current embankment below, depict deer or possibly elk with massive antlers.

This figure appears to be a dog. The notion of domesticated dogs coexisting with a Native American tribe during this era seems plausible.

In this panel it is evident that the petroglyphs have been chalked in an effort to make them more visible. Chalking can cause irreparable damage to rock carvings.

This carving appears to be another pronghorn. Commonly referred to as antelope, pronghorn still proliferate in and around this area.

The large central image in this photo could be a bison, another native inhabitant of the vast plains which stretch south from the Black Hills.

This expansive panel shows a curious string of loops, possibly representing some kind of fence or snare, surrounding a herd of deer.

Although the carving in this photo is hard to identify, the bullet hole left by vandals is easily recognized.

The stone surface around these pronghorn is marred by chipping and flaking of the sandstone in which they are carved. The chipping is not natural, but rather the work of vandals.

A variety of figures adorn this panel, some of obvious human and animal shape, but some less easy to identify.

Again, chalking is evident in these carvings. Chalking is considered vandalism, as even touching petroglyphs can leave behind body oils which damage and alter the stone surface.

For more information about petroglyph sites in the Black Hills region, contact the BLM Newcastle Resource Area at (307)746-4453.

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Special thanks to Alice Tratebas and the BLM for an informative tour of the petroglyph site.

Photos, page creation and site development by Schulze Enterprises
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