But not all are serious. One only has to view the goofy grin on the face of Kokopelli in Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico to know that, says Van Ness. When viewing rock art, don't just look at the drawings themselves, Moore suggests. The site is part of the art, part of the meaning. Visitors often ask park rangers and site interpreters who among the ancient tribes created the petroglyphs.
Guesses range from holy men to common folk to storytellers.
And then there's the theory espoused by a ranger at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. She was pretty sure, from the graphic sexuality and from the location, that they were done by teen-aged boys who got bored while standing lookout. Van Ness says, laughing. There are various theories as to how the images were etched or painted in some of the places they've been found, such as high up on cliff walls. The dry climate and inhospitable land have helped protect many sites, Stone says.