Mesa Prieta facts for kids
Mesa Prieta is a cool flat-topped hill, or "mesa," located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It sits where two rivers meet: the Rio Grande and the Embudo River. This special place is famous for its amazing collection of ancient rock carvings.
Contents
What is Mesa Prieta?
Mesa Prieta is a large, flat-topped landform found in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It's like a giant natural table rising from the ground. Two important rivers, the Rio Grande and the Embudo River, meet right near this mesa.
How Mesa Prieta Formed
About 3.3 million years ago, hot, melted rock called lava flowed across this area. This lava was a type called basalt, which is very strong. Over time, this lava hardened into a tough, protective layer.
Later, the Rio Grande began to flow through this region. The river slowly wore away the softer layers of rock and soil underneath the hard basalt. This process left the tough basalt layer on top, creating the flat-topped mesa we see today.
Ancient Art: Petroglyphs
The dark, rocky surfaces of Mesa Prieta are perfect for creating petroglyphs. These are ancient drawings carved into rock. The basalt rocks naturally develop a dark coating called "desert varnish." When people scrape away this dark layer, the lighter rock underneath shows through, making a picture.
A Huge Outdoor Art Gallery
Mesa Prieta is home to one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in New Mexico. Experts believe there are anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 petroglyphs on the mesa. That's a lot of ancient art!
These amazing rock carvings tell stories from different time periods. Some date back as far as 10,000 years ago. You can find examples from the Archaic period, the Pueblo people, and even the Spanish period. They show us that humans have lived in this area for a very long time.
