Petroglyphs
Below is an illustrated index of the 14 Petroglyphs profiled on Sacred Destinations so far. For photo credits, please see corresponding articles.
Dating from 4200 to 500 BC, the petroglyphs at Alta are an important record of prehistoric life near the Arctic Circle.
Discovered in the 1990s, this is one of the most important collections of prehistoric rock art in the world. It has been designated a World Heritage Site.
Located along the Columbia River Gorge in Washington, Columbia Hills State Park is home to a remarkable collection of Native American rock art.
Dowth is the least known of three passage tombs in Brú na Bóinne, Ireland. Unlike its neighbors, Dowth has not been thoroughly excavated and is not open to visitors. Fine megalithic art has already been discovered inside.
This remote island in the South Pacific is home to the famously intriguing moai statues, which were carved by Polynesian settlers between about 400 and 1500 AD.
Dating from about 3000 BC, Knowth consists of a large central mound surrounded by several smaller ones. It is especially important for its rich collection of megalithic art.
This famous cave complex in southwest France contains some of the oldest and finest prehistoric art in the world. The paintings, which mainly depict majestic animals, are some 17,000 years old.
This great tomb-temple dates from 3200 BC, a thousand years before Stonehenge was built. It is astronomically aligned and includes some fascinating ancient rock art.
A remarkable collection of over 900 images of animals, humans and symbols carved in crystalline limestone between 900 and 1400 AD.
This remote site on the Dingle Peninsula is home to impressive ruins of a 6th-century monastery and an important carved stone.
A unique archaeological site in the mountains of central Bolivia, El Fuerte de Samaipata is a stone hill carved with a wide variety of animal and geometric figures.
This mysterious volcanic rock formation in Arizona is the subject of many Native American legends and contains ancient hieroglyphs.
The Tarxien temples are four megalithic temples constructed in southern Malta between 3600 and 2500 BC. They are notable for their complexity, fine construction and variety of figural carvings.
Uluru is a massive sandstone rock in central Australia that is sacred to the native Anangu people. In recent years, Uluru has also become important for New Age practitioners.
