Ancient Pictographs, North Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This panel of ancient pictographs covers a large overhang under the north rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. They were likely created sometime between 700AD and 1300AD when these canyons were occupied by ancestors of the present-day Hopi people. They adorn a wall along a major canyon which provides easy access between the Colorado River in the depths of the Grand Canyon and the expansive high plateaus to the north. Major travel corridors such as this were prime locations for people to inscribe these figures as they traveled back and forth between their summer and winter ranges. Much speculation has been offered as to the meanings of these figures. Perhaps they record important events or contain messages to the spirit world or perhaps they are simply random doodles by some prehistoric Da Vinci.