Otherworldly Dreams by Justin Lowery These incredible petroglyphs were carved into the layers of volcanic rock at the very least 2000 years ago, according to archeologists. This panel measures about 30 feet across and contains dozens and dozens of separate petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are carved into the layers of rock, while Pictographs are painted onto the rock. Each can survive for thousands of years, but Petroglyphs tend to date much older as they were the dominant form of art / writing used by the most ancient cultures, with paint being developed many hundreds of years later. As such, these carvings may well have been created by the very first humans to have ever lived in this particular part of the globe.
This site has been on my list for about 3 years now, and this week, I finally found a good lead on it and made the trek out to locate the exact site. The location and name of these petroglyphs is secret, and a great deal of effort has gone into keeping it that way, with many organizations and activists working to have all references to their name and location removed from public records and the internet. This is because, as terrible as it sounds, when the location of an ancient archeological site is published online, it is almost immediately destroyed by vandals — typically depraved, egotistical, and ignorant people with spray paint and chisels or hammers. It is not clear why they target these places in particular, but alas they do. In one recent case, a site was badly damaged when two vandals took a diamond blade saw and a ladder out there and cut two of the petroglyphs right out of the rock in a misguided plan to sell them on the black market. Damaging Native American archeological sites in any way is a federal crime, and that was a particularly demented one. So you can see why it’s important to care for these places and not share their names or locations.
This image, “Otherworldly Dreams,” is all about time. The milky way represents the ancient universe, the volcanic rock represents the formation of the earth, the petroglyphs represent early man, and the afterglow of the setting sun embodies the passing of yesterday and the dawn of tomorrow.
Of course, that’s just one take on it. Feel free to come up with one of your own! http://flic.kr/p/A2mrFH
Sig Nordal 