Ancient rock art along US-Mexico border persisted for more than 4,000 years — and it depicts Indigenous views of the universe

Red and yellow rock art of a figure with round fingers and outstretched hands.

For more than 4,000 years, Indigenous Americans painted rock art depicting their conception of the universe in what is now southwestern Texas and northern Mexico, a new study finds.

Innovative dating techniques revealed that the rock art, known as the Pecos River style tradition, likely first appeared almost 6,000 years ago and persisted until about 1,400 to 1,000 years ago, spanning roughly 175 generations.