shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileArizona

in the Sonoran Desert west of Gila Bend

Painted Rock petroglyph site

— — a hill people have been writing on for a thousand years.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A low basalt outcrop in the open desert west of Gila Bend, Painted Rock holds hundreds of petroglyphs pecked into dark stone by the Hohokam and earlier peoples. Some carvings are about a thousand years old; some far older. The Bureau of Land Management keeps the site open every day, with a short loop trail and a campground beyond the wash.

from the studio

— bring it home

Painted Rock petroglyph site, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Painted Rock petroglyph site

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site sits in Maricopa County, Arizona, about 25 miles west of Gila Bend off Interstate 8 and Painted Rock Dam Road. The site is managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Lower Sonoran Field Office. A short loop trail rings a low basalt outcrop carrying more than 700 individual petroglyphs, attributed primarily to the Hohokam, with earlier Archaic-period and later Patayan and historic O'odham additions. A primitive campground sits a short walk west of the outcrop.

— informed by Bureau of Land Management, Wikipedia

— the stone

The petroglyphs are pecked through dark desert varnish into the lighter basalt beneath. The varnish, a thin manganese-and-iron coating that takes thousands of years to form, is what makes a fresh peck stand out, and what dates older glyphs by re-darkening. Figures include human forms, lizards, spirals, snakes, sun discs, and bow hunters. Most date to the Hohokam period, roughly AD 600 to 1450. Older Archaic figures are abstract; later additions include Spanish and Anglo names cut after 1700. The Hohokam canal-builders to the north are the same culture.

— informed by Arizona State Museum

— the visit

The site is open daily from sunrise to sunset, free of charge, with a small interpretive kiosk and a quarter-mile loop trail. Touching, chalking, or tracing the petroglyphs is prohibited under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. The campground has ten sites with vault toilets and no water; bring everything in. Summer temperatures cross 110°F by June and the nearest fuel is in Gila Bend. October through April is the comfortable season. The Lower Sonoran Field Office in Phoenix administers the site.

— informed by Bureau of Land Management

— where

United States · Maricopa County, Arizona

— elevation

183 m · 600 ft

— position

33.0244° N · 113.0397° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

40 km E

Gila Bend

town

8 km N

Painted Rock Dam

dam

Painted Rock petroglyph site

Gila Bend

Painted Rock Dam

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Painted Rock petroglyph site — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

In Maricopa County, Arizona, about 25 miles west of Gila Bend, reached from Interstate 8 via Painted Rock Dam Road. The site is on Bureau of Land Management land.

Most date to the Hohokam period, roughly AD 600 to 1450. Earlier Archaic figures may be 2,000 to 7,000 years old. Later O'odham and historic additions continue into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

More than 700 individual petroglyphs cover the basalt outcrop. Figures include human forms, lizards, spirals, snakes, sun discs, and hunters with bows.

No. Touching, chalking, or tracing petroglyphs is prohibited under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. Skin oils accelerate the breakdown of desert varnish.

October through April. Summer temperatures cross 110°F by June and shade is minimal. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light for reading the carvings against the dark varnish.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers connected to southern Arizona, O'odham country, or Hohokam archaeology. A Small reads well on a desk; a Medium suits a study wall.

The piece sits in Southwestern, desert-modern, and warm Minimalist rooms. Its basalt-and-rust palette holds well against pale plaster, oak, and leather without crowding the wall.

A single Medium covers a hallway console; a Large fills a standard sofa wall. For a long entry, a 4-tile Mural carries the petroglyph field naturally.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both resist scratching and handle steam. The Glossy finish is for framed wall art kept away from direct water.

A soft microfibre cloth with water. No solvents, no abrasives. The colour is held in the ceramic surface and does not wear with normal cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you