So you think I am sneezing when I say: Petraglyph, Pictograph or Geoglyph? Well, I’m talking about ROCK ART by Stone Age men and women.
Click on this image to see the kids making them!
These are images or creations that were made by ancient inhabitants who breathed the same air as we breath now, but whose lives were incredibly different thousands of years ago. Anthropologists believe these symbols of people, animals and trees on rock and lava were not just canvases for Artists, but symbols for Shamans- healers of the tribe hoping to connect to their spiritual realms in order to keep their tribe safe and informed.
We first loaded up into two rafts (large picnic blankets on the grass) and took a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon all the while on the lookout for wildlife. We saw Mountain lions, bobcats, pink rattlesnakes, porcupines, beavers, bats, desert tortoise, mule deer and more. The kids caught me when i said I saw a Giraffe, and another time a Kangaroo. They knew their desert and Grand Canyon fauna.
Click here to see how to use Glue Water & Sand to Make Petraglyphs
Then we saw some petraglyps and pictograms on the rock walls which led into our discussion of the dreams of the Paleolithic man who made the ancient rock art. And how in their day, there were no cars, carriages or even the thought to ride a horse. There were no clothes or bags made of cloth. There might not have even been bags made of leather yet. And what were the rock paintings (pictograms) or rock carvings (petraglyphs)? Were they images for storytellers to tell stories, bridges for the shaman to connect with the spirit world, or just canvases for the artists of the neolithic eras?
After looking and touching the rock carvings I had and the slew of animal teeth I had (Elk, Bear, Hippo, & ) everyone made their own Petraglyphs to take home. Starting with Black construction paper, everyone painted their own symbols with 1/3 Elmer’s glue mixed w/ 2/3 water. Before it dried, we sprinkled one of two kinds of sand we had at our park over the image. Once you shook your artwork, the sand dropped off everywhere except the painted symbols. Voila! And incredible 3D relief image. This was such a fun way to make their own versions of images carved into rock or lava (Petraglyphs), colored paintings on cave walls and boulders (Pictographs) or large images created by removing or adding Earth (Geoglyph). Later the kids also make small figures and nature-scapes with the 25lbs of clay one of the Mom & Dad’s brought to the park. Thank you V & K!!!
Take a minute to follow some of the links to your amazing national parks where you can see in person the art and symbols 1,000 of years old on walls, caves or boulders like the Grand Canyon, the 
Mohave desert, Albuquerque National Monument, the area in Moab, and LA’s closest park (less than 3 hours away) filled with petroglyphs and pictograms in the Coso Mountains. Hand art from Australia is incredible as well. Bradshaw foundation website covers rock art from ALL over our GLOBE. The most famous cache of cave art is in France’s Lascaux Caves see the herd of animals below. 
Chumash Pictogram less than 3 hours from LA
We will also discuss the hows and why’s of protecting Rock Art, because The greatest danger to Rock Art is people! Don’t touch rock art – Never make rubbings or touch the art with your hands. Oil from our bodies and impact from touching cause damage. Don’t make a fire within a mile of any rock art site. Smoke does cause damage. Report any sign of fires you see near rock art. Don’t camp near any rock art site. Don’t dig near or climb above rock art.
There is a Great documentary out right now that was filmed in the Cave that holds the OLDEST art in the world – Chauvet Cave in France – the images are INCREDIBLE!. The art is over 32,000 years old. That is twice as old as any other art found. Dating rock art is an incredible science. It is called Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog found at the Laemlle Theaters.
Making Cave Art on the Big Wall
Planting a garden is Science.
Taking a hike is Science. Brushing your teeth is Science. (And all of these are Math, and Language Arts and even Social Studies.) Break them apart and reveal the Magic. But how do you bring it to life?
Well in one week we took our kids to A) the biggest Int’l Science Fair held, B) 
First off, we took our 4 and 7 year old to the 
experiments with dedication and support from their family and mentors. We have already started the hunt for the “Simple Idea!”
A few days later, we had our Space Exploration, Mars Explorer Rovers and Rocket day at the park, to be followed up with visiting NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab that is only open to the public ONE weekend of the year. The Int’l nature of space exploration was apparent from the JPL parking lot.
On display were all the rovers for Mars, projects for assessing our planet’s resources as well as our fellow planets from space stations and satellites. And with each breath, these men and women were sparking dreams, ambitions, and futures. We have no idea what our kids will become, but by attending such fabulous events, we are ensuring they will observe their world with the eyes of scientists and fulfill their passions with the verve and dedication of those we witness in action.
