Las Cruces District staff lead tour of Three Rivers Petroglyph Site

Apr 1, 2022

Story and photos by William Wight, BLM Las Cruces District Office Public Affairs Specialist.

On March 12, Trinity Miller, a BLM archaeologist, and Margaret (Marglyph) Berrier, a BLM volunteer, led a guided tour of the BLM-managed Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, located in Three Rivers, New Mexico, for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Alamogordo.

The group stands in front of the excavated prehistoric villages. — The group stands in front of one of the excavated prehistoric villages.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Alamogordo is a community-based program designed to help children reach their potential through one-on-one relationships and outdoor activities. Twenty-five people participated in the BLM guided tour.

BLM volunteer, Margaret "Marglyph" Berrier, shows participants an arrowhead and piece of broken pottery found along the trail.

An arrowhead and piece of broken pottery found along the trail.

“The purpose of this guided hike was for the mentors and mentees to get out in nature and appreciate the local places while connecting to the outdoors,” said Miller. “BLM wants to expand its educational outreach and the plan is to work more closely with groups such as these in order to collaborate more with the local communities. [BLM staff will] work with the younger generation to get them to understand the relevance of archeology and why it is important to preserve and protect our public lands."

One of the more than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs, are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert at the Three Rivers Petroglyph National Monument site.

The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is managed by the BLM New Mexico Las Cruces District. Many of the petroglyphs can be easily viewed from a trail open to the public which winds through the rocks for about one mile. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 400 and 1450 AD, were created by the Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock. The number and concentration of petroglyphs make this one of the largest and most interesting rock art sites in the Southwest.