There are thousands of petroglyphs on the public lands administered by the BLM. These .artifacts of past cultures are one of the most visible of our cultural resources and yet one of the more neglected in the area of scientific study. Petroglyphs are difficult to interpret and date, although they continue to draw public and professional archeologists interest because they are so often enigmatic
This particular study of petroglyphs in western Colorado is over 50 years old and has never been previously published. It was produced for the Smithsonian Institution in 1922, but was lost not long afterward. The original manuscript was found in 1977 in the National Anthropological Archives at the Smithsonian Institution. This early work was a pioneering effort in the study of prehistoric rock art.