Jeffers Petroglyphs Has More Petroglyphs Than Anywhere Else In Minnesota
By Betsy Rathburn|Published August 06, 2020
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
Minnesota is full of ancient history. There are millennia-old burial mounds, pipestone quarries, and pictographs to visit and study. These are just some of the excellent ways to explore Minnesota’s distant history up close. But there are many others to discover! For example, Jeffers Petroglyphs is a large outcrop of stone carvings that happens to have more petroglyphs than anywhere else in Minnesota. In fact, the site has more petroglyphs in one place than anywhere else in the Midwest! Here’s what you’ll find when you visit:
Jeffers Petroglyphs Historical Site is found in a wide prairie field in Comfrey, Minnesota. It's about 140 miles southwest of the Twin Cities, a good distance for a day trip for many Minnesotans.
The site is run by the Minnesota Historical Society. Inside the visitor center, you'll find exhibits that offer more history of the area and the people who once lived there.
But it is outside where you'll find the true treasure of this historic site. The rural landscape is truly beautiful, especially during warmer months when the ground is covered in green grass.
Hidden among the grass, surrounded by farmland, is a large outcrop of Sioux quartzite, a beautiful pink stone that is found throughout southwestern Minnesota.
The rock outcrop is covered in petroglyphs, or carvings, created by people who lived here long ago. The Minnesota Historical Society estimates that the oldest are 7,000 years old!
The petroglyphs were carved by many people over thousands of years. Some depict sacred symbols, while others show animals, and even handprints. Some of the most recent markings were cut by wagon wheels by European settlers heading west.
All in all, this is a fascinating place that any Minnesotan interested in history should visit at least once. It's the largest petroglyph area in the Midwest!
Have you ever visited Jeffers Petroglyphs? If you’re interested in Minnesota history, you’ll definitely want to plan a visit. Check out the site’s page on the Minnesota Historical Society website for more information about visiting.
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