Native American Symbols, Totems & Their Meanings – Digital Download Petroglyphs are powerful cultural symbols that reflect the complex societies and religions of the surrounding tribes. They should not be confused with hieroglyphics, which are symbols used to represent words, nor thought of as ancient Indian graffiti. Petroglyphs are more than just “rock art,” picture writing, or an imitation of the natural world. There were many reasons for creating the Petroglyphs, most of which are not well understood by modern society. As a consequence, many of these practices went underground, and much of the image-making by the Puebloans decreased. As a result of their return, there was a renewed influence of the Catholic religion, which discouraged participation by the Puebloans in many of their traditional ceremonial practices. In 1692 the Spanish resettled in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area. In 1680 the Pueblo tribes rose up in revolt of Spanish rule, and drove the settlers out of the area and back to El Paso, Texas. The arrival of Spanish people to the Southwest in 1540 had a dramatic impact on the lifestyle of the pueblo people. These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers. Petroglyphs in the Petrified Forest of Arizona by the National Park Service. Historic pictographs are usually found under protective ledges or in caves where they have been protected from the weather. These natural pigments were mixed to produce a palette of yellow, white, red, green, black, and blue. These natural pigments included iron oxides found in hematite or limonite, white or yellow clays, and soft rock, charcoal, and copper minerals. These symbols, called pictographs, are created by painting on rock surfaces with natural pigments. Historic pictorial symbols for a word or a phrase have been found dating to before 3000 BC. This type of communication is not unique to Native Americans, as long before writing was developed, people around the world recorded events, ideas, plans, maps, and feelings by drawing pictures and symbols on rocks, hides, and other surfaces. Instead, they told stories (oral histories) and created pictures and symbols. When European explorers arrived in America, Native Americans did not communicate through writing as we know it. Click for prints, downloads and products.įrom The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Knife River Indian Village, North Dakota.
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