Looking at a petroglyph is much like being at an art gallery or museum. We humans stand or kneel down and fix our gaze at markings as curious carriers of a message. "We" are the observer. "They" are the original creators.
Consider thinking of the petroglyph as a port hole for looking in on another time and place. It could be an opening into another frame of meaning. One can learn to set aside the apparent one dimensional habit of viewing and get into the mindset of seeing through a symbol to the meaning that was present in the mind of the creator at another time and place.
Icons have a long history of communicating religions meaning without the use of words. Orthodox Christians have developed this method into a central feature of communication. The icon itself brings unique meaning to a human person in the midst of a religious experience. It is a window that opens on religious meaning.
The contemporary web page way of communicating meaning involves the use of color, shape, texture, words, images, movement and sound. One sees through the web page to the meaning or message being projected. The purpose can be to inform, convince the watcher to make purchase, entertain, keep watching, or respond in some other way.
It has been suggested that a petroglyph can be understood as a warning symbol much like a traffic sign or a toxic substance notice. It could mean that a wonderful view is just around the corner or over the top of a hill. The symbol cautions the observer to be aware that she/he is in the presence of a great danger or a very good thing. Be aware! Be ready!
The petroglyph can be understood as an icon, a frozen in time web page, a window, a small viewing aperture, a warning, a message to be ready for wonder.
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