If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 510

 

 

 

 

 

Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

 

This is a used Genuine Curt Teich “C.T. Colortone” linen postcard, distributed by Southwest Postcard Co., Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The postmark is from 1950.  It is identified with a blurb at the upper left corner of the reverse with “P.F. 42, Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest, Ariz.  Halfway between the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, near Adamana, the finest specimen of ancient writings (pictographs) to be found in America.  These writings are the expressions of an unknown primitive people of long, long ago.  Signs along the highway will direct you to them.”

 

It is not clear if this rock was within the park boundaries in 1950 but today the ruins and petroglyphs of Puerco Pueblo are in the park.  The postcard blurb calls these drawings pictographs but further reading indicates that pictographs are rock art pictures and designs painted on the rocks while petroglyphs are scratched or carved into the rock surface.  The carvings endure longer.  Over time the rocks accumulate something called “desert varnish” a patina caused by clay minerals and oxidation of iron and manganese plus sand and other trace elements.  The process over time gives the rocks a red to black coloring that is common in arid regions.  When the rock surface is scratched or pecked off the lighter rock underneath is exposed producing the contrasting colors seen on the card.  It is thought that these petroglyphs were made between 650 and 2000 years ago. 

 

Although labeled Newspaper Rock it is not a single rock nor a newspaper.  It does not tell a story but is a compilation from many different people over a long period of time.  The site has several rocks and over 650 petroglyphs.  Even though it does not tell a story, scientists can still learn about the people and their family or clan symbols, calendar events and spiritual meanings.  Some of the marks even provide clues to boundaries and migratory routes. 

 

There is also another newspaper rock in San Juan County, Utah that has a large collection of petroglyphs.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://www.nps.gov/pefo/learn/historyculture/newspaper-rock.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerco_Ruin_and_Petroglyphs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrified_Forest_National_Park