12 Dec Petroglyphs and Roasting Pit
In this canyon near Las Vegas, the rich resources, especially agave, were an abundant source of food that drew people here over thousands of years. On the desert floor beneath the petroglyphs remnants of agave roasting pits may still be seen. Today, we are still drawn to the canyon, in part, by these markings made by the ancestors of Native American peoples and, in part, by the spectacular beauty of the landforms and vegetation found here.
Agave is a type of yucca plant that was used as food for thousands of years by Native Americans living in the southwestern deserts. The agave was harvested and the sweet-tasting hearts were roasted in large pits during communal gatherings. Close to this pit are other extensive petroglyphs and pictograph sites. These petroglyphs may have been created between 2000-4000 years ago. Some of the images, such as the joined triangles, indicate possible Ancestral Puebloan influences.
(Text by Alanah Woody.)
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