Rock art

15 km outside Taghit, where the road ends, is a collection of petroglyphs. They are carved on boulders and exposed, so they are easy to find. The figures are animals of many kinds. Unfortunately the site has been damaged over the years with graffiti.

If you happen to be travelling on Ruta 40, consider a stop at these magnificent cave paintings, or better said, ancient stencils of hands. The well-preserved paintings are on a rock face and were made over 9000 years ago. Most likely, the hands were made by the Tehuelche people, also known as Patagons. They were known as very tall people which you can notice by the size of the hand prints. Most of the prints are of left hands, probably because the paint was sprayed using a bone tube which was held in their right hand. Apart from the hundreds of hands, there are also a few paintings of guanacos and some other animals.

Before the Spanish and the Dutch came to Bonaire, the island was inhabited by an the Caquetios. An important person was the Simacan, the star watcher, who was basically the living almanac of his people, advising them about weather, when to do certain tasks, and registering important events on rock walls. Markings can be seen in many areas around Bonaire, but some of the most accessible are at Boca Onima near Rincon. The site had to be protected from modern artists wanting to complement the centuries-old inscriptions with their own 'Johnny loves Lucy', so the metal bars spoil the pleasure a little and certainly make the pictures look like they were taken in jail, but red stars, turtles and other forms can be clearly seen on the cave wall.

This giant runestone contains Denmark's longest runic inscription. It was probably erected in the early 10th century, during the Viking Age, by Ragnhild in memory of her husband Alle the Pale, who should have been a chief and pagan priest. Like some other runestones the text ends with a curse for those who tamper or steal the stone. The stone was placed as part of a stone ship (setting of stones shaped like a ship) on an even older burial site of two barrows dating back to the Bronze Age, more than 3,000 years ago. In the 1900s more stone monuments were placed at this site and trees were planted.

Gådao's Cave is named after an Chamorro legend chief and it's probably also him depicted on the petroglyphs. Look the legend up, as it's too long to be replicated here. To find the cave, park on the dirt road. There is a sign leading down a trail towards the sea. There is a cave-structure there, which you can walk through, this is however not Gådao's. Follow the path over the spiky limestone and Gådao's Cave will appear (there are two concrete steps). There is a third open cave (more of an overgang) after Gådao's with nice views. Again, just follow the path over the limestones. Only Gådao's has petroglyphs.

Dehus Dolmen is prehistoric passage grave from the neolithic period (4000-2500 BC). It is constructed out of massive capstones with one broad main chamber and two smaller side-chambers. A bearded face has been carved on the second capstone from the rear. The tomb has free admission, but is protected by a door, which get locked at sunset. You have to turn on the lights yourself, remember to turn on the lamp for the capstone, so you better can see the carved face.

This petroglyph field is located within the Volcanoes National Park almost at the end of Chain of Craters Road. You have to hike 1.2 km over rugged lava fields to reach the collection. There is a boardwalk to protect the petroglyphs. Like the other petroglyph fields on Big Island not much is known about them.

The petroglyph field at Puako features more than 3,000 ancient Hawaiian rock carvings, depicting humans, animals, tools and symbols. Nobody knows for sure when they were carved, but probably between 1000 and 1800 AD. Getting to petroglyph field isn't obvious. From the parking lot at the beach follow the paved trail to a small collection of replica petroglyphs. Then continue by following the rugged trail through the "enchanted" kiawe forest. You will eventually reach the viewing area of the real site.
There is another petroglyph field not far away at Waikoloa (10 km).

This rich petroglyph field is set among resorts and golf courses. It's an open area with lava slaps filled with mostly geometric patterns and symbols, but there are humans, canoes and animals too. Like the other sites, nobody knows when they were carved, but probably between 1000 and 1800 AD. "Newer" rock carvings have also been added after contact with the Europeans (English initials and horses).
There is another petroglyph field at Puako a short drive away (10 km).

Lesotho has more prehistoric sites than just dinosaur footprints, namely rock paintings, also known as bushman paintings. As with the dinosaur footprints, the rock paintings are totally unprotected and difficult to find without help from a local. For the rock paintings at Ha Tjooeng, you first have to walk through the village down to the bottom of the gorge, cross the river, and up to the overhanging on the rock face. Among newer drawings and carvings, you will be able to make out the original rock paintings - some men, a cow and a lion(?) - which surprisingly have survived millenniums of tear, wear, and graffiti. As with most sights in Lesotho, the journey through the breathtaking scenery is half the reward.