A CU-Boulder-led team has found that petroglyphs on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Nevada date to at least 10,500 years ago, making them the oldest rock art ever dated in North America. Photo Credit: University of Colorado

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada approved the study of ancient petroglpyhs on the reservation that date back at least 10,000 years.

The tribe allowed researchers to perform non-invasive testing of the rock art. The results showed they are the oldest recorded petroglyphs in North America.

"Prior to our study, archaeologists had suggested these petroglyphs were extremely old," Colorado University-Boulder researcher Larry Benson said in a press release. "Whether they turn out to be as old as 14,800 years ago or as recent as 10,500 years ago, they are still the oldest petroglyphs that have been dated in North America."

The study was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Get the Story:
Petroglyphs in Nevada dated to more than 10,000 years old, oldest in North America (AP 8/14)
Winnemucca Petroglyphs: Oldest Rock Art in North America Dates Back Up To 14,800 Years (Sci-News.com 8/14)

Get the Study:
Dating North America's oldest petroglyphs, Winnemucca Lake subbasin, Nevada (Journal of Archaeological Science Volume 40, Issue 12, December 2013, Pages 4466–4476)