TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Ancient Rock Art - Petroglyphs and Pictographs from the Southwest

Friday, November 1, 2013

Ancient Rock Art - Petroglyphs and Pictographs from the Southwest

I've seen ancient Rock Art in Alaska and Egypt, but the American Southwest has the most.

I'm showing pictures I took of petroglyphs (engraving or carving on rock) and pictographs (paintings on rock) in the Southwest.

It's amazing to think that these petroglyphs and pictographs are 10,000 years old if not older. It's fascinating to speculate on what the purpose of these rock art was: some say they were used for astronomy or by shamans or to mark territorial boundaries or symbolic communication.

When I see them, I feel awe; I feel the presence of some other minds, some other peoples who had their own civilization. The petroglyphs and pictographs are very powerful. Clearly they were done to communicate or to express a human feeling or thought.

Another interesting fact is that Rock Art was done all over the world; and despite the distance, the same symbols or images can be found in different places. How could that be? How could someone in Paraquay draw the same symbol as someone in Colorado, USA?

It's simply fascinating.

Enjoy the pictures. You can make them big by clicking on the picture, and there are links to other sites about Rock Art.