We went up the stony wash that is westernmost of the Syncline drainages, beautiful from the cliffs above. Petroglyphs on its water-scrubbed sides: a symmetrical spiral in dark desert varnish, and a pale Star Person almost erased by flashfloods. There was still a skim of water running down the linked pools.
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WORLD-BUILDING and WILDERNESS: 
This is such a lovely image. As always.
I’m a kinda petroglyph nut myself. We have some mysterious ones here in the VI on St. John. Some say made by the Arawak Indians, some say African slaves, but the motifs lean to Arawak. Maybe a mix, who knows.
Phillis, how interesting! I really only know our local (northern New Mexico) petroglyphs, but I just found an interesting site:
http://www.petroglyphs.us/
with CDs of petroglyphs from several places. But no Arawak!
Have you read Michael Dorris’s midgrade novel, Morning Girl?