Deer Valley Rock Art Center

The prints on the rocks in the Hedgpeth Hills may be puzzling for its visitors as some prints do not clearly answer the question, "What do the petroglyphs mean?" However, it obviously indicates that there is a story or history in every carving.

The petroglyphs site is preserved by the Deer Valley Rock Art Center which is managed by Arizona State University (School of Human Evolution and Social Change-College of Liberal Arts). Apart from the archaeological site, the center also houses a nature preserve and a museum.

The rock art site boasts more than 1,500 petroglyphs which were engraved in nearly 600 basalt boulders. The carvings are associated to the American Indian people who lived more than 7,000 years ago. There are significant markings of different images including animals which experts interpret as the hunting activity of the people. Examining the carvings closely will give the visitors a hint on the belief, concepts and even to the religion of the American Indian people. Visitors can reach the boulders by taking a quarter-mile walk.

Exhibits and archives are displayed in the center’s museum which informs visitors about the importance of the carvings in the boulder. There are orientation films which explain the engravings as well as hands-on activities and interactive computer kiosks.

The center also has The Green Room which showcases different information about the surrounding of the petroglyph site including the population, cultural traditions, plants and animals that lived thousands of years ago. The room also has an activity area where storybook reading is conducted.

Deer Valley Rock Art Center opened in 1994. In 2000, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named as Phoenix Point of Pride.