The Archaeology of Yellow Jacket Pueblo

Rock Art

by Kristin A. Kuckelman

1
Although we did not systematically survey the site area for rock art images, three petroglyphs were noted and photographed during Crow Canyon's testing at Yellow Jacket Pueblo (Site 5MT5). All three figures are located along the south rim of the canyon (Database Map 263, Database Map 331), and all are single, anthropomorphic figures between 10 and 15 cm tall. The westernmost figure is located on the northeastern face of a large boulder adjacent to the canyon rim (Database Photo 4698). Another figure is on the face of the canyon rim above the "ash cave" (Database Photo 4700) and is likely to have been related to the use of this shallow cave, or rock overhang. The easternmost figure is on the face of the canyon rim northeast of the "ash cave" (Database Photo 5284, Database Photo 5285, Database Photo 5286).

2
These petroglyphs are of a style called "lizard men," characterized by front-view anthropomorphic figures with sticklike arms and legs extending outward and bent at the elbows and knees (Cole 1990*1:143; Schaafsma 1980*1:135–136). The bodies of these figures are usually sticklike or narrow rectangles. The actual significance of these images to the residents of the village and the community is, of course, unknown. Rock art is not directly datable, but the artistic style of these images is characteristic of rock art created during the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods (A.D. 900–1280) in the Mesa Verde region; the images were thus probably created during the occupation of the village.

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