Established in 1990, The Petroglyph National Monument is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The National Park Service and the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division operate the park. It is home to 25,000 petroglyphs, most of which are 400-700 years old. Spanish settlers and Native peoples, mainly Pueblo Indians, created these carvings in the volcanic rock.

The Spanish settled this region in 1540 until Native peoples forced them to leave. The Spaniards resettled the land in 1692, and the influence of Catholicism resulted in a decrease in the creation of these engravings.

The carved images represent different aspects of the creators’ cultures. The carvings may refer to clans, historical events, or religious figures. The land and the carvings remain sacred to the descendants of their creators, and the Petroglyph National Monument continues to host traditional Native American ceremonies.