Petroglyphs, Pictographs, and a Geoglyph: Rock Art of the American Southwest
Posted by havealittletalk on September 23, 2010
Here’s something different. Petroglyphs are carved into rock; pictographs are painted on the surface, and “rock art” is an all-purpose general term that you can use should the first two fail. Sources for today’s post include The National Archives’ DocuAmerica, National Park Service (NPS), and the Naval Air Weapons Station– China Lake.
First, several pictographs photographed by David Hiser for the EPA’s DocuAmerica project posted at The National Archives website.
Moab, Utah: Newspaper Rock, Indian Creek Historic State Park. 05/1972. . ARC Identifier 545679, ARC Identifier 545671 [close-up]
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Canyonlands National Park, Utah. 05/1972 ARC Identifier 545675
Horse Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. 05/1972 ARC Identifier 545687
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The next three should be credited to the National Park Service (NPS):
NPS photo. Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, New Mexico
NPS. McKee Springs Petroglyph, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah & Colorado
The following is from the National Park Service’s Mesa Verde website and describes the small image to the right:
According to one Hopi elder, this petroglyph, found on Mesa Verde’s Petroglyph Point Trail, may tell the story of two clans (the Mountain Sheep Clan and the Eagle Clan) separating from other people and returning to their place of origin. Notice the boxy spiral shape? This likely represents a sipapu, the place where Pueblo people believe they emerged from the earth (believed to be near the Grand Canyon). You can also see the head and arms of a figure, and on the bottom right, a possible Katsina clan symbol.
Now here’s something new to me: one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in the US is on a military installation in California, and only one site, Little Petroglyph Canyon, is open to the public — and that is on a very limited basis:
Concentrated in secluded canyons of the volcanic Coso Range on the test ranges of the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Calif., are thousands of visual reminders of people who, thousands of years ago, hunted and gathered their food in this high desert. The Coso Range Canyons contain the highest concentration of rock art in the Western Hemisphere. More than 6,000 images have been pecked, engraved, or abraded into the desert varnish or patina that forms on basalt rocks with time and weathering.
No one knows for sure how old these petroglyphs are. A broad range of dates can be inferred from archaeological sites in the area and some artifact forms depicted on the rocks. Some of them may be as old as 16,000 years, some as recent as the 1800s. Designs range from animals to abstract to anthropomorphic figures. . . .
After the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, security concerns resulted in the cancellation of all petroglyph tours. While security is still a number one priority, NAWS houses one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in North America. Therefore, with security in mind, the Commanding Officer of NAWS has adopted a new policy to allow limited tours to the public.
All tours will be conducted with a minimum of two Command-approved escorts. These escorts are volunteers contributing their time to the tour groups so that you may see and enjoy the rock art of Little Petroglyph Canyon. …
One image in the media gallery at the installation’s website is of a geoglyph, which I suppose means the image was carved onto the ground rather than on a rock face:
“ This starburst-shaped geoglyph was located on one of the pre-historic sites.”
Here are some deer-shaped and sheep petroglyphs:
And one of geometric shapes and another that “differs from the other petroglyph designs in the canyons at NAWCWD, China Lake”:
Resources:
To learn more about petroglyphs and pictographs, visit:
The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site: More than 21,000 glyphs of humans, animals, plants, geometric and abstract designs in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico.
Slideshow of Rock Art at Chaco Culture HP
Coso Rock Art District, China Lake, California. This site has an interesting essay on connection between shamanism and petroglyphs; unfortunately, its images are not in the the public domain.
Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Southeast Alaska, Tongass National Forest
Rock Images, NPS Archaeology page. List of locations of petroglyphs, but with many broken links.
Hendon Harris said
For an informative book on the great similarities between the ancient Navajo tribal culture and faith and Tibetan Buddhism read “Navajo and Tibetan Sacred Wisdom: The Circle of the Spirit” by Peter Gold. The book has an
endorsement letter from the Dalai Lama, the current head of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, himself. Whether you choose to believe this hypothesis now or not these similarities if true explain several mysteries and rock carved
art in the Pacific Southwest such as Newspaper Rock, the manji (swastika) used as art and jewelry in this area as well as customs still used by our indigenous people such as the Seven Step Seven Vow Wedding Ceremony.
This ceremony was celebrated clockwise around a “sacred flame”. Was this the same “sacred flame” (perhaps the one known as the fire god Agni to generations of Buddhists) that was used in the Kiva fire pits by the Anasazi people? If this was true it would amazingly tie so many loose ends together but it would also demonstrate that contrary to common scholarly positions and countless books that there were indeed pre Columbian but recent Asian contacts in North America. How can anyone explain away all these “coincidences”?
Hendon Harris said
For an incredible view of what I believe may be art and proof of a connection between the Anasazi people and Buddhism google: “The Canadian Goose Bisti” “The Sleeping Lizard Bisti” “The Flying Turtle Bisti” and any of the
numerous images sites that will show you the rock formations there. Google: “Were the Anasazi People Buddhist?”
Hendon Harris said
On Newspaper Rock there are scrapped images of men with horns on their heads. Nothing unusual about that as Native American tribal elders including Medicine Men have been known to wear headdress that included North American Bison horns since
ancient times. What is noteworthy about this is that two geoglyphs have been
located in Colorado not far from Newspaper Rock. These forms can be accessed
by googling; “Ancient Buddha Tree of Life Lotus Flower”. The image on the right although huge resembles the favorite Tibetan Deity Yamantaka and the one on the left the Tibetan Three Jewels or Vajra symbol. Detailed images of Yamantaka available on the internet and elsewhere show Yamantaka with the horn configuration not of the Yak or the Water Buffalo familiar to Tibetans but with the horn set of the North American Bison. How did this happen? How and when did Tibetans become familiar with this species? Why are there so many Vedic (ancient India) symbols and customs showing up in the Pacific Southwest.
The number 108 has significance in all Vedic based religions (including Buddhism). Why is it then that the settlement cities of the ancient Anasazi culture in North America were built within a fairly tight range of the 108th Meridian West for hundreds of miles north and south and ultimately ending on the west coast of Mexico? Were the Anasazi people possibly Buddhist? Were they the source of the numerous drawings, carvings, symbols and customs that appear to have a Vedic origin? The Hopi tribe is reported to have been the people with the closest cultural ties with the Anasazi. Is that why there seem to be so many ties between Tibetan Buddhism and that specific Native American tribal culture. These similarities include jewelry styles and materials, language contrasts, the Manji (swastika) that the Hopi still call by its original name in Sanskrit “The Whirlwind”, sand paintings as well as numerous other possible links. I believe there is enough evidence available now that experts (scholars) should be doing research into this subject.
Hendon Harris said
Is there an ancient rock carved Persian Manticore in Arches National Park, Utah?
If so how could it have possibly arrived there? Which group of ancient people had
the skills and the knowledge of the manticore to reproduce it in ancient Utah?
Google: “The King Arches National Park”. Take a look at these detailed pictures
of both sides of the rock and then form your own opinion.
Hendon Harris said
In studying Native American art such as the well
known “sand paintings” and the lesser known
medicine wheels and medicine shields one has
to be surprised or at least amazed by the similarities between this Native America art form
and its almost identical art form “cousin” the
mandala which originated in India and spread
throughout ancient Asia. Is this another example
in that growing list of cultural transfers between
ancient India and North America that continues to expand or can this simply be another randon coincidence? What do you think? Google:
“Native American Medicine Wheels and Shields”
and http://www.meaningofmandalas.com/native-american-mandalas and http://www.abgoodwin.com/mandala/introduction-to-mandalas.shtml
Hendon Harris said
From the beginnings of Buddhism it has shared much in common with another religion that also started in India-Hinduism. This commonality in many ways has existed for centuries and is why Hwai
Shan’s Buddhist expedition in 458 AD appears to have carried numerous Hindu influences with it. The swastika used in several Native American tribes is an example. The Hindu Seven Step wedding
ceremony is now a long established wedding tradition among our native tribes. Compare the similarities of the ancient beliefs of
the East Indians, the Chinese and the Native Americans concerning the role of the tortoise in the creation of the world or how about
the contrasts between the Chinese dragon and the American Horned Snake which possessed almost identical powers. Check this out.
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Pacific.htm
I believe these influences have had a profound impact on the art
found in the Americas
Hendon Harris said
There are still some of us who remain ignorant to the degree of technological
success that had been achieved in ancient China and the rest of Asia. For
anyone who doesn’t have the time or the money to buy and read Dr Robert
Temple’s well researched and interesting book The Genius of China there is a
shortcut to this information. All you need is about 10 minutes and a computer.
When you are at that point google “The Grand Canal, China”.
The Grand Canal was started in the 4th or 5th century BC and subsequently completed in stages until it was finally completed in the 7th century AD. This was
the longest canal in the history of the world. This engineered project was constructed by the efforts of millions of Chinese and greatly aided in the transport of grain throughout China over the years. Parts of it are still in use
today.
Did you know that the largest palace in human history was Weiyang Palace in
Chang ‘an China now known as Xi’an China? This palace was constructed BC
and was probably most famous during the Former Han Dynasty. It was finally
totally destroyed during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD.
Ancient Asians having accomplished these proven and acknowledged feats of
construction in China certainly would not have had any difficulty in constructing the geoglyphs, balanced rock formations, stupas and water diversion projects
here in North America if they had in fact made it here as I have suggested.
Hendon Harris said
How can this be explained away as a natural rock formation?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15197746@N03/3424222571/
Hendon Harris said
There is a somewhat unconventional form of Asian totem art that has been common in Asia
from ancient times up to the present. In my opinion its roots precede all commonly known
existing religions and goes back to the fertility
rites of ancient Shamanism. Today both crude
and refined versions of this can be found in the
Hindu Shiva Lingum as well as in Taoism, Shintoism and other Asian religions. It is an undeniable Asian art form called Asian/Chinese
Genitalia Totems. ( WARNING: These images are graphic and are not for everyone.) For those
choosing to proceed google the following sites: 1) Chinese Genitalia Totems– Go to “images” section
2) Phallic/ Phallus Rocks Arches National Park
Utah Images
3) China’s Sky Pillar Changchun City
4) jetpacker nature porn (worldwide images)
These are just a fraction of the examples available on the internet. This information is
significant because it places Asian art and culture in North America. How could this be in
the Americas without Asian contact?
The modern day Chinese “sky pillar” is called the largest in the world only because we “moderns” have not yet been able to accept
that these ancient genital art rock carved totems
are in fact man made. (and not simply incredible
random acts of nature which look exactly like what they would look like if they were in fact made by the ancients which I believe they were.)
These images were never intended to be what
some in our society consider pornography. These ancient shamanistic based religious
devotees worshipped nature and what might I ask is more basic to the continuation of mankind
than reproduction and thus the reverence for
the body parts by which this is accomplished.
Again, this was/is a significant part of shamanism. I have brought this somewhat
uncomfortable topic to your attention because this connection is huge in showing the Asian
cultural and religious art cross pollination in
not only North America but in several other countries around the ancient world.
Hendon Harris said
I am becoming aware of so many beautiful rock formations in the American Southwest and I am amazed at their beauty and the possibility of what they
may represent. As I have been studying ancient stupa construction in India
during the early years of Buddhism I keep stumbling across the parasol on the
tops of stupas during the 3rd century of the common era and onward for many
centuries. At some point in history although the parasol remained in The Eight
Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism it seemed to have lost it one time ancient
importance and influence in Buddhist art. When you see it in modern Buddhist
art it is usually understated. But That Wasn’t Always the Case!
Recently I came across the image of The Mexican Hat Rock Utah. Google:
Mexican Hat Rock Utah Images for great images of this formation. What seemed
to immediately jump out at me from the images was the fact that the rock on top looked like a mushroom on top of a pile of rocks (stupa). That is noteworthy
because the Sanskrit word for “parasol” is “chhatra” which literally means
“mushroom”. I was perplexed because I could not find anything to illustrate my
point. That was until today when I found what I was looking for in The Buckingham Collections. In their world famous collection of ancient art they have a small image of a stupa from the 2nd or 3rd century that can demonstrate to you what I could only modestly attempt verbally. Google: “rock crystal bronze
stupa Gandhara” Here you see how the ancient Buddhists portrayed their
precious Parasol (chhatra) on the tops of their stupas. Does that help you
understand the significance of the ROCK on the top of Mexican Hat Rock?
Does it also raise questions about why in the American southwest there are
so very many huge boulders balanced so perfectly on the tops of much smaller
rocks? Is it possible that this coincidence of amazing erosion occurs only in
North America?
havealittletalk said
And then there are the sand paintings, too…
Hendon Harris said
How is it possible that a complex wedding ceremony from ancient India would show up in ancient North America in the exact same form and be used by several Native American tribes to this very day as a part of their wonderful
tradition? That wedding ceremony is known as the Seven Step/Seven Vow ritual around the sacred flame done in a clockwise rotation Could it be that it arrived here at the same or approximate time as the Buddhist/Hindu Manji (Swastika) that is still used in the art and jewelry of the Hopi and Navajo tribes? What about the geoglyhs of ancient art from India found in Colorado and seen only from high altitude? http://en.flickeflu.com/image/5220272640
As research continues more evidence is coming in that ancient Buddhists and
Hindus were apparently here in North America in times past. If you are having
a problem getting your mind around the ability of the ancients to travel then just
focus on the travels of the ancient Buddhist/Hindu monks who documented their
trips. Those journals along with the evidence on the ground of huge rock carvings as well as rituals left behind etc leave more than ample evidence that
those missionary trips were actually made and the monks left a cultural impact
wherever they went. chinesediscoveramerica.com
Hendon Harris said
The history of western civilization is interesting and empowering to those of us whose history it tells. However it’s no more than half the whole story. There is so much more to be told about how the east fits into the total picture. Yes, in the
last 500 or so years the west has led the world in many major areas and has
dominated but it wasn’t always so. Take ancient Buddhism as an example. I am
using Buddhism as an example in this blog because ancient Buddhists were extremely accomplished stone carvers and I believe it can be demonstrated that
they left behind enormous rock carvings around the world that can be seen and
Identified to this very day. Google: The History of Buddhism/ Wikipedia
Shortly after the death of Alexander the Great approximately 230 BCE Buddhism
became widespread throughout the Hellenistic world. Kings and common men
embraced Buddhism and missionary monks and local monks joined monasteries
and taught and learned how to do the massive rock carvings that was a major part of of their religious experience wherever they travelled and lived. If you believe I am overstating the case google The Ellora Caves and The Afghanistan
Giant Buddhas to understand the importance of this activity to their faith. These
projects were HUGE. Over time cultures and religions have shifted. Buddhism
was no exception. Although originated in India it has been replaced by Hinduism. In Afghanistan and Pakistan it was replaced by Islam and in Europe
and the Americas by Christianity.
Recently I saw a picture of what appears to be a rock carved Shiva Linga on
the grounds of the mountaintop monasteries at Meteora Greece. I then made
note of what appears to be Shiva Lingas and images of Buddha in the area of
The Montserrat Monasteries near Barcelona Spain. Montserrat translated means
sawed or cut mountains. In my opinion these images are almost identical to the rock carving done on Church Rock Utah USA by whom I believe were also Buddhist/Hindu monks led by Hwai Shan who led an expedition here in 458 AD.
The study of western civilization will only tell you a portion of the exciting story
of our planet. From the beginning days of the Silk Road BC the ancients were
traveling much more than the modern world seems willing to acknowledge.
havealittletalk said
Hi. Do you have a new site? I checked out http://www.chinesediscoveramerica.com/
in the winter — fascinating. I was reminded of a book I saw once long ago on the Tartars and the New World. Anyway, now when I click your name I get an error message.
Hendon Harris said
There is a wheel and a horse on Newspaper Rock but they are both conspicuously absent from ancient
American culture. The absence of the wheel is the most troubling of the two because either by
cultural diffusion or by evolutionary diffusion at least the wheel should have appeared as it had all over
the world for industrial use. Note that wheels have been found on ancient toys in S America so they
were known for religious purposes and for toys. (But why not for working purposes?)
Ancient horse remains have been found with multiple arrows on the scene leaving researchers to believe that ancient horses in America were hunted for food to the point of extinction and that is why
horses disappeared from the Amenca.
I have a possible alternative theory. The Chinese have a saying “where there are horses there is success”. The opposite to that by default is. No Horses No Success. If at the end of the Shang
Dynasty the Chinese had invaded America to crush a rival society as relayed in the Chinese myth
of TheTen Sun/ Ravens what if they ruled after their success that wheels and horses would no longer
be allowed and all horses were killed not for food but to be eliminated. I understand that this can
not be proven at this point. But then how do you account for the lack of the use of the wheel for labor
while it was obviously known or why Native Americans suddenly chose to eat the horse the primary
source of transportation around the rest of the world to the point of extinction.
Hendon Harris said
On January 28, 2011 I referred to the mounted archer depicted on Newspaper Rock, Utah. Recently I’ve come upon an article published in American Anthropology (1940). “The Aboriginal
Bow and Arrow of North America and Eastern Asia” by Spencer L. Roger represents archery research on both sides of the Pacific. He writes North
America was “invaded by the compound bow at its north eastern extremity” page 257. Asiatic style bow design and Mongolian arrow release techniques
are discovered in the Siouan family of
tribes (Plains Indians). How did this
happen? Was it Asian influence or another case of mere coincidence?
chinesediscoveramerica.com
Hendon Harris said
Thank you to those of you maintaining this site!! Its great. I find it interesting that the archer near the wheel on Newspaper Rock who has just released an inflight arrow toward a deer or elk appears to be sitting on a horse. I don’t know how you can claim its anything else unless you’ve totally accepted the conventional
wisdom on the topic which is that the Spanish brought the horse to
North America. There is growing evidence that this may not be true. One of these evidences is a geoglyph of a Tang Dynasty style horse in Colorado and Wyoming. You can access it by googling “hendon’s horse” or by going to my blog chinesediscoveramerica.com . In my opinion the history of the pre-Columbian Americas is much more fascinating than we know.