To begin, what is a petroglyph? A petroglyph is an engraved image created by chiseling at a rocks surface. Prefix -petr, in Greek, meaning stone, and suffix -glyph, meaning carve. The word quite literally means stone carving. Found worldwide, petroglyphs are most commonly associated with prehistoric people and as recent as Native Americans. Not to be confused with hieroglyph, which in a sense, is its own form of petroglyph: main difference being that hieroglyphs are logographic scripts comprised of the ancient Egyptian method of using characters, as it was a definitive writing system. This, opposed to petroglyphs which are primarily images that would, in effect, demonstrate a significant meaning in a sociocultural aspect. Not particularly a specific “language,” or “character,” but a representational image: The distinction between image and character is important. We would assume they are a form of complex primeval communication. Not only the images, but the placement, and surround icons, orientation, and even the geographical locations in which they are engraved have significant meaning and relay distinct messages. For example, a petroglyph is found on a rock by an open field. The image on the rock would communicate with whoever comes across it telling that person that this is occupied territory with which you are trespassing, or a hunting ground which you would have to take careful and deliberate steps to not alert any animals in the surrounding area.
Example of a petroglyph depicting a mother with children:
The evolution of dating and discovery is also progressing. Technology today influences petroglyph discovery: a new method of dating can indicate the date that the mark was made itself, rather than analyzing the material coating the site. That being said, its a precise method of analyzing the erosion phenomena that the material the petroglyph is presented on: in other words, the erosion of the rock. By analyzing the rock type and geographical climate, we are able to index the age via micro-erosion. This theory is coined by R. G. Bednark, A New Way To Date Petroglyphs.
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