THE HIDDEN MOUNTAIN DECALOGUE STONE, LOS LUNAS, NEW MEXICO:

This is a column on a subject that I have long wrestled with in my own mind. It is the epigraphic question of prehistoric inscriptions in Old World scripts in the New World. I became aware of the arguments pro and con through many years of friendship with Bill McGlone. That friendship with Bill probably makes this a more subjective column than an objective one.

Hidden Mountain, New Mexico. Internet image, public domain.

I first met Bill McGlone in the mid-70s in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He had only recently become interested in epigraphy and was, at that time, convinced that there were examples of Ogam in southeastern Colorado. I called him to introduce myself and he graciously invited us to visit at his home where he and I debated rock art until my poor wife could stand it no longer. He later moved to La Junta, Colorado, to be closer to the subject that so fascinated him, and on frequent visits he and I would have many late night debates about epigraphy. We had to agree to disagree because I could not accept theories about prehistoric Old World visitors to southeast Colorado and Bill was a believer. He later dialed back his enthusiasm on Ogam in the New World considerably (although I don't know that he gave it up entirely) because he had shifted his interest to the subject of possible Near Eastern and ancient North African inscriptions in southeastern Colorado. In that enthusiasm Bill and his partner Phil Leonard visited and intensely studied many, many sites, and became quite conversant with the subject of epigraphy. Their enthusiasm led to a level of expertise that allowed them to be quite objective on certain aspects of the subject, and over the years they went on to debunk many fraudulent epigraphic  claims such as those of Barry Fell, although they still believed that there were some examples that were authentic.

The Decalogue Stone inscription. Internet image, public domain.

One site that they studied was the Decalogue Stone, on Hidden Mountain, 16 miles from Los Lunas, New Mexico. "The Los Lunas Decalogue Stone is a large boulder on the side of Hidden Mountain, near Los Lunas, New Mexico, about 35 miles (56 km) south of Albuquerque, that bears a very regular inscription carved into a flat panel. The stone is also known as the Los Lunas Mystery Stone or Commandment Rock." (Wikipedia)

And, in spite of their openness to epigraphic arguments, McGlone and Leonard decided that the Decalogue Stone inscription is a hoax (Personal communication with Bill McGlone). This conclusion is shared by almost any archaeologist who has ever studied the subject.

“One argument against the stone’s antiquity is its apparent use of modern Hebrew (or otherwise atypical) punctuation, though amateur epigrapher Barry Fell argued that the punctuation is consistent with antiquity. Other researchers dismiss the inscription based on the numerous stylistic and grammatical errors that appear in the inscription.

According to archaeologist Kenneth Feder, ‘the stone is almost certainly a fake.’ He points out that ‘the flat face of the stone shows a very sharp, crisp inscription. . .’ His main concern is the lack of any archaeological context. He argues that to get to the location of the stone would have required whoever inscribed it to have ‘stopped along the way, encamped, eaten food, broken things, disposed of trash, performed rituals, and so on. And those actions should have left a trail of physical archaeological evidence across the  greater American Southwest, discovery of which would undeniably prove the existence of foreigners in New Mexico in antiquity with a demonstrably ancient Hebrew material culture. . .’ and states that ‘There are no pre-Columbian ancient Hebrew settlements, no sites containing the everyday detritus of a band of Hebrews, nothing that even a cursory knowledge of now the archaeological record forms would demand there would be. From an archaeological standpoint, that’s plainly impossible.’” (Wikipedia)

The inscription and Barry Fell's translation. From Fell's book 'America BC.' (Image sharpened by chatGPT).

“British Archaeologist Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews has concluded that ‘Viewed dispassionately, the Los Lunas inscription is a clear, but well constructed forgery (for its day). Despite the claims of high antiquity, there are features of the text (such as the mixing of letter forms between two separate alphabets) that are much more likely to derive from the work of a modern forger than from an ancient Hebrew or Samaritan scribe. The evidence for its origin is poor, but a comparison with the Bat Creek Stone suggests that it is a Mormon forgery. The ‘Mormon Battalion’, which was part of the US Army during the Mexican War, is known to have marched from Santa Fe down the Rio Grande Valley, passing close by, and it is possible that this is the date of the inscription.” (Wikipedia)

The Zodiac Map star chart. Internet image, public domain.

On the other hand there are investigators who believe in it’s authenticity. Carl Lerhburger (2015) cites Allen Deal (1984) in his chapter on Hidden Mountain. Deal referred to a petroglyph panel that he concluded is a “zodiac map.” “Referred to as the ‘zodiac map,’ it is a flat horizontal rock with petroglyphs that seem to record the constellations in the sky when a solar eclipse occured in 107 B.C. - - - According to Deal, each of the pecked rock art images represents constellations specific to Semitic cultures, which would rule out their being made by native peoples. - - - In short, by overlaying a modern computer-generated sky chart as seen in New Mexico on September 15, 107 B.C., onto the Hidden Mountain star chart petroglyphs, Deal demonstrated a connection that fits with the dating of the epigraphy on the inscription and supports the idea that the Los Lunas Decalogue Stone is an approximately two-thousand year old Hebrew inscription.” (Lehrburger 2015:290) While Lerhburger does not specify the distance and relationship between the inscriptions, or give any other indication as to relative weathering, or apparent style, he does seem convinced that they relate directly to each other and that the “zodiac map” proves the authenticity of the Decalogue inscription.

And finally, Daniel de Caussin claims that there is a Mediterranean terebinth tree from the Holy Land growing over this rock. “The tree above this rock is a Terebinth tree. In this area there are five of these trees and these trees are not native to North America. The scriptures talk of the Terebinth trees and the Hebrews are compared to this tree.” (Academia:2) I have seen no claims in other sources of these trees from the Holy Land being anywhere around the rock, and as I said I have not visited the site so I cannot commit to any personal knowledge of this.

While I do think a fairly strong case can be made for some prehistoric visitation to the Americas from Europe, the Mediterranean, etc., I have not yet seen any examples of so-called epigraphic inscriptions that convince me that they were actually carved by prehistoric visitors from the Old World. Additionally, I am convinced that any indications of these early visitors would be much more likely to be found near the coast, not the middle of the continent.  But regardless of my own beliefs and opinions on the subject I do feel that these inquiries have a valid place in the field of rock art studies. Let us never become closed-minded and hostile to input from many sources, even if we do not agree with it. These inputs help keep the study of rock art so fascinating.

NOTE 1: I have not personally visited this site so any information I could present on it comes from personal conversations with Bill McGlone and other people’s published reports listed below.

NOTE 2: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

PRIMARY REFERENCES:

De Caussin, Daniel, Undated, The Rock In New Mexico, Academia, https://www.academia.edu/4440411/The_Rock_in_New_Mexico. Accessed 17 July  2021.

Lehrburger, Carl, 2015 Secrets of Ancient Ameri:ca: Archaeoastronomy and the Legacy of the Phoenicians, Celts, and Other Forgotten Explorers, Bear and Co., Rochester, Vermont.

McGlone, William R., and Phillip M. Leonard, 1986, Ancient Celtic America, Panorama West Books, Fresno, California.

McGlone, William R., Phillip M. Leonard, James L. Guthrie, Rollin W. Gillespie, and James P. Whittall, Jr., 1993, Ancient American Inscriptions: Plow Marks or History, Early Sites Research Society, Sutton, Massachusetts.

Wikipedia, Los Lunas Decalogue Stone, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Lunas_Decalogue_Stone. Accessed 17 July 2021.

SECONDARY REFERENCE:

Deal, Allen, 1984, Discovery of Ancient America, Hoffman Printing Co., Muskogee, OK.

 

CLAVIFORM, VENUS OR STEATOPYGIA?

Equine, Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 5, page 20, (Image sharpened with chatGPT).

A recent study of a rock shelter with considerable rock art, found in the central Sinai Peninsula of Egypt has been released. Al-Zolma rock shelter is decorated with a profusion of petroglyphs, including anthropomorphs of considerable interest.

Gazelle, Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 6, page 20, (Image sharpened with chatGPT).

“The study of the twelve panels identified 366 individual petroglyphs, including 146 animal figures, 112 human figures, 16 unknown scratches, and 92 indeterminate forms. These petroglyphs encompass several types of images, such as Bovids, Equids, Antelopes, Camels, Gazelles, Ostriches, Ibex, Felines (Lions and Leopards), and headless women. Most of Al-Zolma Rockshelter’s engravings are depicted in a naturalistic style, with variations in quality and size among subjects.” (Hussein 2025)The variations in quality and size suggest that the images were created by different people across an unknown span of time.

Bovid (auroch?), Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 8, page 20, (Image sharpened with chatGPT).

“The execution style techniques appear to have evolved over time. Some engravings were done by incision, where the outline of the subjects is made with shallower grooves. Others exhibit a more developed technique, appearing as raised relief.” (Hussein 2025) The reported differences in technique seem to rely on how deeply the outlines and details of the figures are carved, although some are essentially carved deep enough to qualify as relief carvings.

Female, Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 7A, page 21, (Image sharpened with chatGPT).

Line drawing of female, Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 7A, page 21, (Image created with chatGPT).

A particular surprise at this site was a series of headless female figures. “One of the prominent petroglyph examples from Al-Zolma Rockshelter is the depiction of headless women, totaling 112 figures, each displaying different styles and engraving techniques. These figures typically represent the torso of a female figure de picted in profile, featuring prominent breasts and buttocks, yet lacking both the head and lower limbs in several instances.”  (Hussein 2025)

Female, Image from Hussein et al., 2025, Figure 7D, page 21, (Image sharpened with chatGPT).

“Interestingly, the majority of these figures face left, with only three facing right. They vary in height from 10.87 cm to 32.65 cm, and are often superimposed by images of bovids, antelope, camels, and equids. The execution techniques range from scratches and incised lines to what appears to be raised relief. Similar examples of headless women have been found at other sites in Egypt, such as Qurta (QI-QII) and el-Hosh ATB11. Moreover, the significance of these ‘Headless Women’ figures extends beyond Al-Zolma Rockshelter, and other Egyptian sites bearing resemblance to depictions found across the European Magdalenian world, both in rock art and as statuettes made of various types of stone.” (Hussein 2025) The reference to headless women ‘found across the European Magdalenian world’ refers to claviforms and/or the so-called ‘Venus’ figures of the European Paleolithic. These were small figurines carved from stone or from mammoth ivory.

Claviforms, La Roche de Lalinde, France. Picture from donsmaps.com.

Venus figurine, Grimaldi, Italy, ca. 22,000 BCE. Internet image, public domain.

So, were the artists of Al-Zolma rock shelter influenced by European claviforms, ‘Venus’ figures, or something else? In other words. is this evidence of cultural contact between the Sinai and Paleolithic Europe? Another possible interpretation might be considered. The females of Khoisan and related tribes of Africa often display steatopygia, a condition where extensive fat deposits accumulate on the buttocks and thighs. It can be found randomly pretty much worldwide, but is more common among the ‘Hottentots’, the pre-colonial inhabitants of much of southern Africa. Of course, it is possible that the European ‘Venus’ figures are also meant to depict steatopygia, but that is not the general assumption for their meaning.

'Hottentot' woman displaying steatopygia. Image from Wikipedia.

No direct dating has been done on the art in Al-Zolma Cave. “Dating the Al-Zolma engravings remains a challenge, but stylistic similarities to established Late Paleolithic sites in Egypt suggest a potential age. Further research, including radiocarbon dating and OSL dating in association with the engravings and a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment and potential archaeological sites in Wadi Al-Zolma, could offer valuable context for interpreting the rock art and provide more precise chronological information.” (Hussein 2025:24)

“”The more I looked at the engravings,” says Hussein,” the more I thought the artworks resembled those you might find in Lascaux Cave or other famous European Paleolithic sites.” Hussein learned that an engraved depiction of an aurochs very similar to the one in Al-Zolma Cave had been made in southern Egypt around 15,000 years ago.’” (Powell 2026) This coincidence helped confirm the age of the Al-Zolma art in his mind leading to the announced Paleolithic age for these petroglyphs.

The authors of the study have concluded that this rock art is potentially Paleolithic in age based upon stylistic similarity to other sites in the Sinai peninsula that have been dated.  “The engravings in Al-Zolma Rock shelter executed in a naturalistic style, similar in appearance to the rock assemblages found at other sites in Upper Egypt, such as Wadi (Chor) Abu Subeira (Wadi (Chor) Abu Subeira, an Eastern Desert Wadi, located 12 km north of Aswan): CAS-1320 and CAS-6,21 as well as to those of Qurta (QI, QII, and QIII),22 and Abu Tanqura Bahari 11 (ATB11) at el-Hosh, both north of Kom Ombo. Studies conducted at these sites have successfully dated rock art to the late Paleolithic period, approximately 16,000-15,000 BP. This provides a strong possibility for attributing the engravings in Al-Zolma Rockshelter to the late Paleolithic period.” (Hussein 2025) So, were these female figures inspired by Paleolithic European claviforms or ‘Venus’ figures, or by steatopygia? Can we ever know? It is, however, certainly a wonderful surprise and a really fun idea to speculate on.

NOTE: Some images in this column were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below. Additionally, some of the quotations I have included have had citations removed from their text. These can also be acquired from the original texts.

REFERENCES:

Hussain, Hesham, 2025, The Rock Inscriptions Documentation Project: Al-Zolma/Al-Dalma Rockshelter in the north-central part of the Sinai Peninsula: A Preliminary Report, Abgadiyat, Volume 20, No. 1, pp. 49-63. Published in Academia online.

Powell, Eric A., 2026, Light in the Cave, Archaeology Magazine, July/August 2026, Volume 79, Number 4, page 19.

THE DECALOGUE STONE - LOS LUNAS, NEW MEXICO:

                         The Decalogue Stone, Los Lunas, New Mexico.
                                                        Wikipedia.

Did ancient Israelites, or at least Semites, wander around the American West during pre-Columbian times, and leave an inscription based upon the ten commandments carved into a boulder near Los Lunas, New Mexico? My answer would be a resounding no, but there are those who firmly believe this to be true.

The following quotes are from Wikipedia (with limited editing), and I have kept their underlining and emphasis intact: 

"The Los Lunas Decalogue Stone is a large boulder on the side of Hidden Mountain, near Los Lunas, New Mexico, about 35 miles south of Albuquerque, that bears a very regular inscription carved into a flat panel. The stone is also known as the Los Lunas Mystery Stone or Commandment Rock. The inscription is interpreted to be an abridged version of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments in a form of Paleo-Hebrew. A letter group resembling the tetragrammaton YHWH, or "Yahweh," makes three appearances. The stone is controversial in that some claim the inscription is Pre-Columbian, and therefore proof of early Semitic contact with the Americas."

"The first recorded mention of the stone is in 1933, when the late professor Frank Hibben (1910-2002), an archaeologist from theUniversity of New Mexico, saw it. According to a 1996 interview, Hibben was "convinced the inscription is ancient and thus authentic. He report[ed] that he first saw the text in 1933. At the time it was covered with lichen and patination and was hardly visible. He was taken to the site by a guide who had seen it as a boy, back in the 1880s." However, Hibben's testimony is tainted by charges that in at least two separate incidents, he fabricated some or all of his archaeological data to support his pre-Clovis migration theory. The reported 1880s date of discovery is important to those who believe that the stone is pre-Columbian. However, the Paleo-Hebrew script, which is closely related to the Phoenician script, was well known by at least 1870, thus not precluding the possibility of a modern hoax." 

"Because of the stone's weight of over 80 tons, it was never moved to a museum or laboratory for study and safekeeping. Many visitors have cleaned the stone inscriptions over the years, likely destroying any possibility for scientific analysis of the inscriptions' patina. Nevertheless, comparing it to a modern inscription nearby, geologist George E. Morehouse, a colleague of Barry Fell, estimated that the inscription could be between 500 and 2000 years old and explaining its freshness and lack of patina as being due to frequent scrubbing to make it more visible." 

Vandalized Los Lunas Decalogue Stone, April, 2006. Wikipedia.

In April of 2006, the first line of the unprotected inscription was obliterated by vandals. The position of the stone has also shifted, possibly also related to the vandalism. No matter how much on the fringe you consider a subject to be, no one should feel that they have the right to damage and displace the subject of what some people believe to be serious scientific inquiry.

 I have previously admitted that I am not a linguist or epigrapher, so I cannot make judgements based upon personal knowledge of some of the above arguments. I can, however, relate that friends of mine who took seriously some of the diffusionist arguments back in the 1980s and 1990s, and who did have some knowledge of epigraphy, discounted this inscription as a modern creation based upon linguistic arguments. I personally discount it based upon my inability to imagine the lost tribes of Israel wandering about New Mexico (or maybe they had dubbed it New Palestine) during some pre-Columbian period.

REFERENCE:

Wikipedia.