Crow Canyon is located just east of Farmingtom, NM. Some of the rock art was created by Archaic peoples but most of it was created by Pueblo and Navajo people during the Gobernador Phase (1696-1775 AD). Prior to 1680 the Pueblo people were under the control of the Spanish. In 1680 they revolted successfully but the Spanish returned in 1692 forcing many Pueblo people (in particular the Jemez, Tewas, and Cochiti) to head west into Navajo lands. The Crow Canyon peoples (by now a mixture of Navajo and Pueblo people who acculturated and intermarried) then found themselves retreating to the cliff tops in defensive positions (pueblitos) in 1715 when Ute tribes attacked. The Navajo also faced various threats from the Comanches. One of these pueblitos is represented in this gallery. The Navajo didn't really create rock art until the integration of the fleeing Pueblo peoples occured at the start of the Gobernador Phase. Once this happened they started involving themselves in doing rock art with influence from the Pueblo groups (Gobernador Representational Style). The Gobernador Style depicts deities (Yei's) and ceremonial figures, cloud terraces and corn plants, birds, and shield bearers. Many of those motifs can be found in the rock art in this gallery. That is especially true for the Navajo Ye'i figures. Post-Gobernador Navajo art became very secular.
