Petroglyph Symbols

Newspaper Rock, Utah

By no means am I an expert on petroglyphs. I’m a photographer, a writer and I take pictures to expose myself to this style of art. I’m going to start painting and this is the influence I want in my creative direction. After visiting and reflecting on the rock art, I began to wonder about the indigenous people that created this art. I joined the Arizona Archeological Society and began to buy books studying the history of my area which has led me to many different groups.

I’m surrounded by Hohokom rock art. There are many many sites within a two hour drive from my home. Thousands of petroglyphs and many ruins. As I photograph these sites, panels of petroglyphs, individual rock art, I am beginning to see patterns, similarities and commonality. The Sonoran desert where I live is harsh. It’s hot and dry. Before modern man, there were no modern contrivances. Water was life and it was a must.

Phoenix is situated in a large flat valley that once held the largest gathering of historical native Americans. The Hohokom built canals to water their crops. There were many Pueblos all over our area. The nearest one to my home is S’edav Va’aki, just about two miles away. The rock art of Tempe Butte is about five miles from my home. There are so many sites to visit and I enjoy capturing the rock art with my camera.

I can’t help but to think about the different types of symbols that the Hohokom chose to inscribe on the desert varnish rocks. I see patterns and positions and I am always drawn to the reason why they chose a certain symbol.

My collection here is from a photographers viewpoint. I am not an archaeologist nor do I claim to be an expert however, the volume of my collection continues to grow and with that I can understand what I do read from the experts. I see the petroglyphs myself and I’m able to experience what I read from the experts. Ekkehart Malotki is my favorite archeologist and the author of the book, Tapamveni.  For further reading on Rock Art Symbols, this book dives deep into categorizing each type of symbol of the greater Southwest.