Caption: Photo of a complex petroglyph array at the Picture Rocks site courtesy of Picture Rocks Redemptorist Renewal Center

On Monday, December 21, 2026, join Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Winter Solstice Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Archaeological Sites” with archaeologist Allen Dart. This tour departs at 8:00 am from near Silverbell Road & Linda Vista Blvd. in Marana, Arizona, and will end around 12:00 noon. 

The 2026 winter solstice occurs on December 21 at 1:30 pm Mountain Standard Time (8:30 pm Coordinated Universal Time [UTC]) according to https://aa.usno.navy.mil. To celebrate the winter solstice day (but not the exact time!) and explore ancient people’s recognition of solstices and other calendrical events, archaeologist Allen Dart (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s executive director) leads this tour to Los Morteros, an ancient village site that includes a Hohokam ballcourt, bedrock mortars, and other archaeological features, and to the Picture Rocks petroglyphs site where the ancient rock imagery includes a solstice and equinox calendar marker, dancing human-like figures, whimsical animals, and other petroglyphs made by people of the Hohokam archaeological culture between 800 and 1100 CE. Participants provide their own transportation.

This is a requested donation of $45 ($36 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center members), which helps cover Old Pueblo’s tour expenses and supports its education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures. Registration and prepayment are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5 pm Friday December 18, whichever is earlier: info@oldpueblo.org or 520-798-1201.

Flyer: 20261221(v1)LosMorteros&PictureRocksWinterSolsticeTour