THE MOBILIARY ART OF BOCA DE POTRERILLOS NUEVO-LEON, MEXICO

Two types of incised tabular sandstone rocks were recovered from two s patially and temporally distinct areas within the large petroglyph/ope n camp site of Boca de Potrerillos in the northeastern Mexican state o f Nuevo Leon. Seventeen stones from Coconos, a subarea of the site tha t probably dates to about 5000 BP, are engraved with broad, deep linea r and curvilinear designs made by pecking and smoothing of grooves. A recurring motif is an apparent vulvaform that is sometimes incorporate d into more complex designs. Loma San Pedro, a subarea of the site tha t dates between 230 and 950 radiocarbon years ago, produced nine scrat ched pebbles, all bearing simple linear cross-hatching. Differences be tween the iconography of the portable art and that of the thousands of petroglyphs may be attributed to differences between public and priva te symbolic systems.