For the land he drew a straight line, 
For the sky, a bow is above her; 
White space between the day 
filled with asterisks for the night; 
On the left is the sunrise point, 
on the right is the sunset point, 
at the top is the noon point, 
as well as rain and cloudy weather 
Wavy lines descending from her.
Of  "Songs of Hiawatha"  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When European explorers arrived in America, Native Americans did not communicate through written language as we know it. Instead, they told stories (oral stories) and created pictures and symbols. This type of communication is not unique to  native americans since long before the advent of writing, people all over the world recorded events, ideas, plans, maps and feelings by drawing pictures and symbols on stones, skins and other surfaces.

Historical graphic symbols for a word or phrase were discovered prior to 3000 BC. These symbols, called pictograms, are created by painting on stone surfaces with natural pigments. These natural pigments included iron oxides found in hematite or limonite, white or yellow clays, as well as soft rocks, charcoal, and copper minerals. These natural pigments have been blended to create a palette of yellow, white, red, green, black and blue. Historic pictograms are usually found under protective ledges or in caves where they were sheltered from the elements.

Paviotso Payute creates petroglyphs by Edward S. Curtis, 1924.

Another similar form of communication, called petroglyphs, has been carved, carved, or worn into stone surfaces. This thread may have formed a visible dent in the rock, or it may have cut deep enough to expose unweathered material of a different color underneath.

Native American symbols were word-like and often had one or more definitions and / or contained different connotations. Varying from tribe to tribe, it is sometimes difficult to understand their meaning, while other symbols are very clear. Due to the fact that Indian tribes speak multiple languages, symbols or "drawing pictures" were often used to convey words and ideas. Symbols were also used to decorate houses, were painted on buffalo skins and recorded important events of the tribe.

Petroglyphs in the Petrified Forest of Arizona, created by the National Park Service.

These images are valuable testimonies of cultural expression and have deep spiritual significance to modern Native Americans and the descendants of the first Spanish settlers.

The arrival of the Spaniards to the southwest in 1540 had a dramatic effect on the way of life of the Pueblo people. In 1680, the Pueblo tribes revolted against Spanish rule and drove the settlers from the area back to El Paso.  Texas ... In 1692 the Spaniards moved to the area  Albuquerque ,  state of new mexico  ... As a result of their return, there was a renewed influence of the Catholic religion, which discouraged participation  Puebloans in many of their traditional ceremonies. As a consequence, many of these practices went underground and much of the Puebloan image declined.

There were many reasons for the creation of petroglyphs, most of which are not entirely clear to modern society. Petroglyphs are more than just "rock art", drawing pictures or imitating the natural world. They should not be confused with hieroglyphs, which are symbols used to represent words, and should not be thought of as ancient Indian graffiti. Petroglyphs are powerful cultural symbols that reflect the complex societies and religions of the surrounding tribes.

Native American Symbols, Totems And Their Meanings - Digitally Download

The context of each image is extremely important and is an integral part of its meaning. Today's indigenous people state that the placement of each petroglyph image was not a random or accidental decision. Some petroglyphs have meanings known only to those who created them. Others represent markers of a tribe, clan, kiwa, or society. Some of them are religious organizations, while others show who came to the area and where they went. Petroglyphs still have a modern meaning, while the meaning of others is no longer known, but they are respected for belonging to "those who were before."

There are thousands of pictograms and petroglyphs throughout the United States, with the greatest concentration in the American Southwest. More than anything else is the Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico. Archaeologists estimate the site may have over 25000 petroglyphs on the 17-mile escarpment. A small percentage of petroglyphs found in the park date from the Puebloan period, possibly as early as 2000 BC. Other images date from historical periods starting in the 1700s, with petroglyphs carved by early Spanish settlers. It is estimated that 90% of the monument's petroglyphs were created by the ancestors of today's Pueblo people. The Puebloans had lived in the Rio Grande Valley even before AD 500, but population growth around AD 1300 resulted in many new settlements.

Arrow		DEF
Arrow		Vigilance
After the badger		Summer
Bear		Force
Bear paw		Good omen
Big mountain		Great abundance
Bird		Carefree, carefree
Broken arrow		World
Broken cross circle		Four seasons that revolve
Brothers		Unity, equality, loyalty
Roga Buivola		Success
The roof is buffalo		Sacredness, reverence for life
Butterfly		Immortal life
Cactus		Desert sign
Coyote and coyote footprints		Deceiver
Crossed arrows		friendship
Days-Nights		Time is passing
After the deer		Play in abundance
Drawn bow and arrow		Hunting
Dryer		A lot of meat
Eagle		Freedom
Eagle feather		This is the main
Investment		Ceremonial dances
End of the trail		Peace, end of war
Evil eye		This symbol protects against the curse of the evil eye.
Face the arrows		Reflection of evil spirits
Four ages		Infancy, Youth, Middle, Old Age
Gecko		Desert sign
Poisontooth monster		Time to dream
The Great Spirit		The Great Spirit is the concept of a universal spiritual force or supreme being that prevails among most Native American tribes.
Head dress		Ceremonial
Hogan		Permanent home
Horse		Journey
Kokopelli		Flutist, Fertility
Lighting		Power, Speed
Bolt of lightning		Swiftness
Man		Life
Witch doctor's eye		Wisdom
Morning stars		Мanagement
Mountain range		Destination
Track		Crossed
Peace pipe		Ceremonial, sacred
Rain		Bountiful harvest
Rain clouds		Good perspective
Rattlesnake jaws		Force
Saddle bag		Journey
skyband		Leading to happiness
Snake		Disobedience
Pumpkin flower		Fertility
the sun		Happiness
Sunny flower		Fertility
Sun god mask		The Sun God is a powerful spirit among many Indian tribes.
Sun rays		Constant
Swastika		Four corners of the world, prosperity
Teepee		Temporary home
Thunderbird		Unlimited Happiness, Raincaller
Thunderbird track		Bright avenue
Water works		Permanent life
Wolf's paw		Freedom, success
Zuni Bear		Good health