A New Mexico man has asked San Felipe Pueblo for permission to study what he believes may be the oldest Spanish inscriptions in the state.

Mike Smith found the markings last month. He thought he was on Bureau of Land Management property but it turns out he was actually on the reservation.

Smith wrote a letter to tribal leaders to continue study of the site but he hasn't heard back. The New Mexico state historian says the tribe has the final say.

The inscriptions could date to 1581 or 1582 and could have been made by Juan de Santa Maria, a priest who visited New Mexico during that time.

The earliest known Spanish inscriptions in the state have been attributed to Juan de Oñate's expedition around 1605.

Get the Story:
Inscriptions Await Review (The Albuquerque Journal 7/20)