La Española Gorge
Location
Area size
Is unknown because up to five sectors of engravings have been recorded along the river and no studies on their actual extent have been carried out.
Dating
300-800 A.D.
Access
Public
Description
This site is a deep canyon with more than fifty petro-engravings visible, displayed in the Colorado River canyon. The unique identifiable motifs include anthropomorphic (heads), zoomorphic (monkeys, snakes, and birds), and geometric (isosceles crosses arranged in "chessboards") forms.
From a chronological and stylistic perspective, the variety of the designs is associated with the polychrome ceramics of the Galo and Carrillo Polychrome groups (from 500 to 800 A.D.). Unfortunately, there are no ceramic finds in the vicinity of the site.
Gallery
Rock representations
Processing techniques
Raspado
Picoteado
Pulido
The petro-engravings have wide and deep grooves with a smoothed surface. They were probably carved by indirect blows using hammers and stone chisels. Their motifs are formed in several iconographic strips at the height of the river and on the upper edge of steep walls that are difficult to access, which is why vines may have been used for hanging down.
