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Rock Art
by Kristin A. Kuckelman
1
Although we did not systematically survey the site area for rock art
images, three petroglyphs were noted and photographed during Crow Canyon's
testing at Yellow Jacket Pueblo (Site 5MT5). All three figures are located
along the south rim of the canyon (Database Map 263, Database
Map 331), and all are single, anthropomorphic figures between 10 and
15 cm tall. The westernmost figure is located on the northeastern face
of a large boulder adjacent to the canyon rim (Database Photo 4698).
Another figure is on the face of the canyon rim above the "ash cave" (Database
Photo 4700) and is likely to have been related to the use of this
shallow cave, or rock overhang. The easternmost figure is on the face
of the canyon rim northeast of the "ash cave" (Database Photo 5284,
Database Photo 5285, Database Photo 5286).
2
These petroglyphs are of a style called "lizard men," characterized by
front-view anthropomorphic figures with sticklike arms and legs extending
outward and bent at the elbows and knees (Cole
1990*1:143; Schaafsma 1980*1:135–136).
The bodies of these figures are usually sticklike or narrow rectangles.
The actual significance of these images to the residents of the village
and the community is, of course, unknown. Rock art is not directly datable,
but the artistic style of these images is characteristic of rock art created
during the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods (A.D. 900–1280) in the
Mesa Verde region; the images were thus probably created during the occupation
of the village.
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