Rock Carvings

Rock Carvings. . , Rituals , Little is known about the purpose of these petroglyphs. They are not a form of writing and cannot be translated. These figures may have been produced as a part of either a personal or group ritual, designed to influence events in the natural world in which the American Indian live and on which the relied for their survival., Hunting , Carvings of animals and animal tracks may have been a part of the ritual of the hunters. Their survival depended on a successful hunt. By carving a symbol of the animal he was hunting, perhaps the artist believed that he could capture or control its sprit., Dreams, Fertility, and Legends , Some of the carvings may have been a record of symbolism such as that experienced in dreams produced by fasting. This was an integral part of the American Indian spiritual life. Some may have had a place in fertility rites concerned with the continuation of the carvers' families and the natural world. These also may have been memory devices illustrating tales and legends to tell later generations.