INAH uncovers eight new rock‑art sites in Zacatecas, Mexico

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) identified eight additional sites with prehistoric rock paintings in the Sierra de Valdecañas, near Fresnillo, Zacatecas. The newly documented locations, spread over roughly five kilometres, raise the total number of known sites in the area to nine.

The paintings, dated between 600 and 1,200 years old, feature primarily geometric motifs—straight lines, zigzags, cross‑hatches and circles—applied in red pigment, with occasional animal and rare human figures. One site includes a ritual gallery in a stream bed linked to fertility and hunting ceremonies.

The discoveries resulted from a systematic survey conducted in 2024 under a cooperation agreement between INAH’s Zacatecas centre and the mining firm Fresnillo plc, which owns land in the region. Culture secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza said the find demonstrates that Mexico’s archaeological heritage continues to provide new keys to understanding the nation’s history and underscores the value of scientific research, protection, and collaboration.