A Canvas for Ideas

Desert varnish, a dark coating of mineral, clay, and organic material that accumulates over time on rock, provided a surface where prehistoric artists created petroglyphs by exposing the lighter material underneath. These symbols were not letters or sounds but representations of the artist’s ideas and a way to communicate with the world around them. Present-day Indigenous oral traditions offer possible interpretations of this imagery. Members of the Zuni tribe believe one example depicts the artist’s clan ties, perhaps a mother from the Crane Clan and a father from the Frog Clan. A Hopi interpretation connects it to stories of a giant bird that came to villages to eat bad children. Another view compares the large bird image to the white-faced ibis, a water bird at Petrified Forest that eats frogs and other small animals; shapes below the frog may represent water drops, suggesting the image may symbolize aquatic resources and fertility. In arid regions around the world, people have shown reverence and gratitude for water through symbols such as fish, tadpoles, and dragonflies.

Arizona · United States