Easy Field guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Southwest
Petroglyphs are symbols drawn by prehistoric cultures. This Easy Field Guide focuses on those found in the four corner states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Pecked into patina of stone, chiseled with antler, or etched with the acidic juice of cactus, petroglyphs were used by the ancients as a means of conveying a message. These petroglyph and pictograph symbols are popularly known as Rock Art.
Just what these messages might have been is still a matter of conjecture, but my hope is to provide some insight into what the early Native Americans may have been trying to say. The interpretations suggested here intend to provide a point of departure in dealing with the questions....
What were they trying to say? Why did they say it?
First, while attempting to read the petroglyphs keep in mind that some are over a thousand years old. As these early cultures died out, or evolved, their messages may have been lost, or altered in meaning with passing generations. Therefore, exact interpretation is exceedingly difficult. Some would say impossible, at least for now. This is what makes these symbols so interesting.
