03/24/08

Inspired by unknown impulses. Native Americans have left various designs on the canyons, cliffs and boulders of their native landscapes. Many of these carved or painted pictures dating back over 10,000 years have survived to the present day.

The mysterious rock art drawings include ghostly human forms, wary game animals, abstractions with swirls and meandering lines. It could be that they were designed to call supernatural forces and ensure a groups general prosperity.

Images depicting masked figures, elaborate headdresses, and richly decorated clothing are probably related to ceremonies conducted by shamans. And various geometric signs have been linked to record keeping, healing symbols, or to the marking of cyclical natural events, such as the summer solstice.