Panel A is on the rock face directly opposite Panel B, in a small alcove in the Coconino Sandstone at the bottom of Walnut Canyon. It consists primarily of several groups of short inscribed linear parallel notches near the end of the alcove. A small satellite panel near the entrance of the alcove (visible in the 360 panorama below, near the alcove entrance, but not visible in the 3D model) contains one notch as well as some simple pecking marks.
Panel B, estimated to contain 150 separate elements, is the largest petroglyph panel found to date in Walnut Canyon National Monument. The pecked petroglyphs were most likely created by the Sinagua, who lived in the area 500-1300 AD. The incised linear notches appear to be in the “Verde Incised” style, more commonly found in the Verde Valley. Peter Pilles, chief archaeologist for the Coconino National Forest, has been studying this style for over 20 years, and believes it was created in protohistoric and historic times by the Tonto Apache culture.
Panel A contains multiple incised elements characteristic of the “Verde Incised” style.
For additional views of these panels, visit the “462 – Panels A & B – A Closer Look” and “462 – Panels A & B – In A Different Light” pages.