Swirl

[MonikaC]

One more before my work week starts. This is from Petroglyph National Monument in NM. There are 3 branches to this monument. This is in suburban Albuquerque, with the Rinconada trailhead behind a gas station/convenience store. One side is bordered by a development where all the houses look the same. Driving around this area, one can sometimes spot a boulder with 'glyphs on it in somebody's front or back yard! My first time there, I was looking at large vertical surfaces for the 'glyphs (as in Utah), but they were largely on horizontal surfaces or small to medium sized boulders.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Monica, very nice petroglyph. That is one of the strangest National Monuments there is with how it's split up and scattered all over the place.

 

[Mike Mancil]

Interesting! Are there any translations (real or educated guesses)? I see a thunderstorm and lightening.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like the light you had for this shot. The isolation of the rock face with the petroglyph against the shadows makes this a neat comp.

 

[Leslie Hunter]

A lightning swirl? I like it.

 

[MonikaC]

Interesting! Are there any translations (real or educated guesses)? I see a thunderstorm and lightening.

Mike,
I don't know about the NM glyph translations, but for the Utah ones, it's pretty much "best guess". The ancient & modern languages are far enough apart that while some symbols have accepted meaning, there are fairly wide interpretations of the subtleties and syntax.