Investigations of Ancestral Pueblo Rock Art in the Lower Sand Canyon Area of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado

This paper presents the results of documentation and initial analysis of rock art at the cluster of Ancestral Pueblo sites (mostly cliff dwellings) located in three canyons of southwestern Colorado in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in the central Mesa Verde region. These sites date to the thirteenth century A.D. (Late Pueblo III period) and probably functioned as a community or two separate communities in this period. However, there are also few examples of much older rock art at these sites (possibly Basketmaker II period). Most of the rock art is within habitation sites or in their close proximity. Rock art recording included tracing, digital photography, photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, and subsequent analysis using various software. Hopi representatives provided field consultation for certain rock art panels, offering invaluable help and interpretations based on Pueblo oral tradition. This research is part of a larger project that aims to document the sociocultural changes in the Lower Sand Canyon area.