Navajo Petroglyphs

What are Petroglyphs? This is a very complex and intriguing form of artwork particularly associated with the American Indian Artwork. These Petroglyphs are usually done on rocky surfaces such as a cliff wall or inside of a cave. A lot goes into creating this magnificent art.

Understanding the Significants of Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs aren’t just pictures. They hold within them, meanings, motifs, symbols and patterns that express artistic or religious meanings. This type of art also entertains special events or could also be created as a form of magic or Mystical things.

Not only do they put forth great effort to make their reality into a picture, but, they also put forth hard physical work as well. In order to create this master piece one must know the usage of a chisel. This involves having a hammer and a chisel in either hand. If a person wanted to reveal the lighter colored stone beneath the surface of a rock it requires you to Chip, engrave, and carve the surface.

The coloring of the artwork varies between different shades of brown and black. The lightening of the color is used to be able to see the picture more clearly. Petroglyphs are not just a piece of decorative art that you could either love or hate. These pictures hold a lot of power and meaning. There are not many that can take one glance at Petroglyphs and fully understand the meaning behind it.

Petroglyphs Explained

The Petroglyphs as a whole is a story. There are symbols and meanings that require prior knowledge, if you want to understand. Some Petroglyphs are dated as far as 10,000 to 12,000 years ago that tells us a lot about “back then.”

Petroglyphs are not to be mistaken with petrographs which is an image or picture drawn on a rock face. Petroglyphs are an engraving within the rock rather than on top of the surface. Both hold symbols and meaning well known in the American Indian culture. Both are dated to have been used in history.

These artistic pictures are a passage through them to history. After observing the Petroglyphs in the many locations they could be found one would be enlightened and would be able to clearly see what is before them.

This form of art work shows that there is a lot more to the eye than you can see. Furthermore there is a lot more to the American Indian culture as a whole that has not been fully acknowledged.