Some Petroglyphs
Spent a night near Moab when i went on a fundraising trip last week, and on the way out of the canyon, I found this rock on which the ancient Native Americans had carved some of their symbols. I like to copy these symbols into my journal sometimes— drawing slows down your perceptions, and you come to a better sense of what you're looking at. So I realized while copying that there seem to be only a couple of male figures in the whole panel. Also, the big image to the left seems to be someone giving birth; and the other big image to the right of it is surely the Corn Mother. Note also the numerous footprints along the lower right register of the panel— I seem to recall reading somewhere that that's a recognizable clan sign, but I can't recall.


Enlarging the two main images of the panel: As I say, the large figure at the left is clearly in the process of giving birth; what's interesting is the small figure connected by its arm to her right leg (i.e., on the viewer's left). The bundle between the birthgiver's legs is clearly connected by an umbilical cord, though in this photo that isn't so clear. The large figure at the right just "has to be" the Corn Mother. The small figure below her is one of the two or three males i could identify (look between the legs); the other one is the figure somewhat to his left, who is carrying a shield and seems to have an erection connecting to another somewhat obscured figure, with nine little footprints leading up from there to the side of the birthgiver. So I'm guessing the footprints represent nine moons (months). The paired footprints to the right of them seem to be deer or sheep footprints. There are only five sets of those. How long is the gestation period for deer, antelope, or mountain sheep?

On the other side of the rock were these five very simple figures, again the imagery seems very female. The snake probably represents the river or the canyon that this rock is in, because it has many twists and turns; the footprint motif to the right of the right-hand triangular figure is rather different from the footprints on the other side of the rock, although a number of them are banded. I'm guessing this rock was some kind of temple or initiation spot for women. As a male, i probably shouldn't even see it!
But those people are long gone... except, I gather, for the Hopi. I also understand (though maybe incorrectly) that these simple, geometric types of petroglyphs were carved over 1,000 years ago. (I welcome correction or further comment.)

Along the road there were also a number of places where modern people have cut caves into the rock and built houses. This one doesn't seem to have been completed; in fact it's not really clear what it was for, since it really doesn't seem big enough for a house. But it was interesting anyway.
