Southeast Alaska Day 8 - Petroglyph Beach
July 6, 2012
One of Wrangell's highlights is a visit to Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park, about a mile north of town. Dozens of petroglyphs are scattered on boulders, making this the highest known concentration of petroglyphs in Southeast Alaska.
Most of the rock art here depicts faces, circles, spirals and animals. Nobody knows their full meaning, when they were made or who made them. Some theorize that they could be used to remember deaths, births or major events. Perhaps they commemorate potlatches or mark territories. Since most of the petroglyphs are below mean high tide, maybe they were intended to attract salmon. Or, maybe they were just doodles.
Petroglyph on Petroglyph Beach, Wrangell, Alaska