Petroglyph facts for kids

European petroglyphs: Laxe dos carballos in Campo Lameiro, Galicia, Spain (4th–2nd millennium BCE), showing cup and ring marks and deer hunting scenes

Petroglyphs are amazing ancient artworks carved into rock surfaces. Imagine people long ago using tools to scratch, pick, or carve pictures and symbols onto stones! These carvings are a special kind of rock art.

People outside North America often use words like "carving" or "engraving" to describe these images. Petroglyphs can be found all over the world. They give us clues about the lives of prehistoric people who lived thousands of years ago.

What Does "Petroglyph" Mean?
Where Are Petroglyphs Found?
- Ancient Art Around the World
  - Common Themes in Petroglyphs
- How Were Petroglyphs Made?
Why Are Petroglyphs Important?
Images for kids
See also

What Does "Petroglyph" Mean?

The word "petroglyph" comes from ancient Greek. The first part, "petro-", means "stone". It comes from the Greek word petra. The second part, "-glyph", means "to carve". It comes from the Greek word glýphō. So, a petroglyph is literally a "stone carving". The word was first used in French as pétroglyphe.

Where Are Petroglyphs Found?

Petroglyphs are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are like a global art gallery left by our ancestors. These carvings can be found in deserts, mountains, forests, and near rivers. Each location often has unique styles and meanings.

Ancient Art Around the World

Some of the oldest petroglyphs are thought to be from the Upper Paleolithic period. This was about 40,000 years ago! Many others were made during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. They show us how people lived, hunted, and thought in different parts of the world.

Common Themes in Petroglyphs

What did ancient artists draw? They often carved animals like deer, bighorn sheep, and even mammoths. Human figures, hunting scenes, and mysterious symbols are also common. Some petroglyphs show maps, constellations, or tell stories. They can give us a peek into ancient beliefs and daily life.

How Were Petroglyphs Made?

Ancient artists used different methods to create petroglyphs. They might have used harder stones to peck, cut, or rub away parts of a softer rock surface. Sometimes, they used sharp tools to incise lines. The tools and techniques varied depending on the type of rock and the culture.

Why Are Petroglyphs Important?

Petroglyphs are like messages from the past. They help historians and archaeologists understand ancient cultures. They show us what was important to these people. They also tell us about their environment, their beliefs, and their way of life. Protecting these ancient artworks helps us learn more about human history.

Images for kids

Rock art in Iran, Teimareh region
Rock carving known as Meerkatze (named by archaeologist Leo Frobenius), rampant lionesses in Wadi Mathendous, Mesak Settafet region of Libya.
Petroglyph of a camel; Negev, southern Israel.
Reclining Buddha at Gal Vihara, Sri Lanka. The image house that originally enclosed the remains can be seen.
Petroglyphs of the archaeological site of Las Labradas, situated on the coast of the municipality of San Ignacio (Mexican state of Sinaloa)
Composite image of petroglyphs from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). Nordic Bronze Age. The glyphs have been painted to make them more visible.
A petroglyph of a caravan of bighorn sheep near Moab, Utah, United States; a common theme in glyphs from the desert Southwest and Great Basin
A petroglyph in Bidzar, Cameroon
Lion Plate at Twyfelfontein in Namibia (2014)
Petroglyphs at Ughtasar, Armenia
Petroglyphs in Ladakh, India
Map of petroglyphs and pictographs of Iran
Hunting scene in Koksu petroglyphs
Millenarian rock carvings, Laxe dos carballos at Campo Lameiro, this detail depicts a deer hit by several spears
Petroglyph Park near Petrozavodsk–Lake Onega, Russia
Mammoth on the basalt stone in Sikachi-Alyan, Russia
Fertility symbols, called "Ita Letra" by the local Panambi'y people, in a natural shelter in Amambay, Paraguay
Near Parras, Coahuila
Petroglyph on western coast of Hawaii
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Modern Hopi have interpreted the petroglyphs at Mesa Verde National Park's Petroglyph Point as depictions of the Eagle, Mountain Sheep, Parrot, Horned Toad, and Mountain Lion clans, and the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the mesa
Petroglyphs at Wadi Qarn.
Petroglyphs at Mada'in Salih.
Petroglyphs of musical instruments.
Petroglyphs of animals, Tabuk.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions, Tabuk.
Islamic inscriptions, Qasim.
Thamudic inscriptions.
Rock carving on Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong. This 3000-year-old rock carving was reported by geologists in 1970
Petroglyphs at Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan
Tamgaly petroglyphs in Kazakhstan
Buddhist carvings at Ili River in Kazakhstan
Petroglyphs on a rock wall found in the Sierra Madre mountain range, Rizal, Philippines
Petroglyph found in Awashima shrine (Japan)
Petroglyph in Roque Bentayga, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).
Petroglyph at Dalgarven Mill, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Bronze Age petroglyphs depicting weapons, Castriño de Conxo, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.
Labyrinth, Meis, Galicia.
Cup-and-ring mark, Louro, Muros, Galicia.
Deer and cup-and-ring motifs, Tourón, Ponte Caldelas, Galicia.
Petroglyphs in Zalavruga, Belomorsk, Karelia, Russia
The sorcerer, Vallée des Merveilles, France
The tribe master, Vallée des Merveilles, France
Grosio - Rupe Magna
Grosio - Rupe Magna
Grosio - Rupe Magna
Leftmost of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Central of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
A stone on the right of the passage, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Carvings of various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a horse
Paleolithic rock engravings breaking the natural rock formation
Various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a Bull
Talampaya National Park, La Rioja Province, Argentina
Petroglyph on Tunduqueral hill at Uspallata, Argentina
Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil
Ivolandia, Goiás, Brazil
Costao do Santinho, SC, Brazil
Numerous rocks boasting thousand-year-old carvings.
Modern science and the spectre of ancient man coexist in this thought-provoking image of a petroglyph.
Llamas at La Silla
Petroglyphs at Orongo, Rapa Nui (Easter Island). A Makemake at the base and two birdmen higher up
El Abra archaeological site, Cundinamarca
Petroglyph in the Chiribiquete Natural National Park. (Possible equine)
Petroglyph in the Chiribiquete Natural National Park. Aboriginal
Petroglyph in the Chiribiquete Natural National Park. (Possible mammal).
Petroglyphs in the Chiribiquete Natural National Park.
Petroglyphs on a Bishop Tuff tableland, eastern California
Southern Utah
Southern Utah
Utah
Arches National Park
Animal print carvings outside of Barnesville, Ohio
Arizona
Picacho Mountain Petroglyphs
Columbia River Gorge, Washington
Rochester Rock Art Panel in the San Rafael Swell in Utah
Web-like petroglyph on the White Tank Mountain Regional Park Waterfall Trail, Arizona
Chipping petroglyph on the White Tank Mountain Regional Park Waterfall Trail, Arizona
Sample of petroglyphs at Painted Rock near Gila Bend, Arizona off Interstate 8.
Puye Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico
ThunderBird Rock Carved Petroglyph in West Central Wisconsin
Detail of a carved archer-like figure, Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park, Sanilac County, Michigan
Sky Rock Petroglyphs, Bishop, California.
Sky Rock Petroglyphs, Bishop, California.
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, New South Wales
Part of a 20-metre-long petroglyph at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, New South Wales
Mutawintji National Park, New South Wales
Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia