Petroglyph

ancient art · rock carving · prehistoric · archaeology

Rock Art Message. Petroglyphs are pictures that ancient people made by carving, scratching, or picking away at rock surfaces. They're like the oldest graffiti, but they lasted for thousands and thousands of years.

Ancient Storytellers. The oldest known petroglyphs are in Murujuga, Western Australia, and they're between 40,000 to 50,000 years old. That means they were created when woolly mammoths still roamed Earth.

Protected Treasures. Many petroglyphs are so important that governments protect them as monuments. Some have even been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which means the whole world recognizes how special they are.

Mystery Messages. Nobody knows exactly what all petroglyphs mean, but they likely showed animals people hunted, spiritual beliefs, or important events from their daily lives.