SubmittedforCommemorativeEditionofBulletinofMuseumof.docVIP

Submitted for Commemorative Edition of Bulletin of Museum of Northern Arizona, celebrating 100th Anniversary of Petrified Forest National Park. Petroglyphs in Petrified Forest National Park: Role of Rock Coatings as Agents of Sustainability and as Indicators of Antiquity by Ronald I. Dorn Department of Geography Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287-0104 ronald.dorn@  Abstract Rock coatings formed on petroglyphs at Petrified Forest National Park both preserve the art from erosional processes and provide tools to understand the arts chronology. Erosional processes of rock fall from fissuresol wedging, splintering of sandstone, and flaking are somewhat offset by case hardening surfaces by addition of rock coatings. 20th century graffiti can be distinguished from truly ancient petroglyphs by lead-profile dating. Microlaminations dating reveals that park engravings range in age from at least the early Holocene prior to about 8000 yr B.P. to the late Holocene in the last 2000 years. The next step in the research process is to utilize a Rock Art Stability Index to identify those panels in the greatest danger from loss through erosion, and then use available methods to record and sample petroglyphs to preserve knowledge while we can. Introduction Sustainability rests at the heart of the National Park movement around the globe, first instituted in the United States at Yellowstone National Park. Preservation of cultural resources, in particular, remains a global focus no matter whether the setting is urban (Warke et al. 2003), wildnerness (Whitley 2001), or systemic research (Striegel et al. 2003). The most endangered cultural resources remain those exposed at or near Earths surface, in surficial, already-excavated sites, or rock art that has no place to hide. Petrified Forest National Parks rich prehistoric tradition of rock art, unfortunately, remains at risk from both natural processes and people. A vital research imperative must be to understand