Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs are like ancient newspapers. They can be older than 300 BCE here in the American Southwest. Although the people who made them had no written language, some symbols were universal. Some of these drawings are art and some have meaning as astronomical calendars. The zipper glyph has been overlayed over an area topo map and matched the position and altitude of the mountains in sight.
Astronomical calendars were important here because winter came suddenly with heavy snows. People needed to prepare and get food stored. They also needed to know when to plant and gather. Many fertility rites were celebrated at certain times to take full advantage of survival prospects for both humans and their domesticated animals.
Many different peoples traveled through the Parowan Gap over thousands of years, and the glyphs let people know what they were heading into both coming and going.
Astronomical calendars were important here because winter came suddenly with heavy snows. People needed to prepare and get food stored. They also needed to know when to plant and gather. Many fertility rites were celebrated at certain times to take full advantage of survival prospects for both humans and their domesticated animals.
Many different peoples traveled through the Parowan Gap over thousands of years, and the glyphs let people know what they were heading into both coming and going.
