Friday, April 25, 2008

Glyphs and Public Diplomacy

Among the possible intentions for creating glyphs may have been group identity issues at stake. Sending a message about "us" and "our way of life" in a certain geographic region must have been a challenging task 5000 years ago.

Today that process of sending messages about "us" is known as Public Diplomacy. The term came into use during the Cold War when the US government unveiled the Edward R. Murrow Center for Public Diplomacy in 1965. International information programs were being developed and it was deemed necessary to move beyond "propaganda".

Public Diplomacy intends to shape the minds of people who observe "us" so that they will be cooperative as we seek out goals in the world. The words Public Diplomacy have an official ring to them. Nicholas Cull of the Annenberg School of International Relations at the U of Southern California spells out the history of Public Diplomacy in the March 2008 issue of The Annals. The task of Public Diplomacy is to create and disseminate ideas that can be spread from person to person in a social network using available technology.

I am suggesting that the Jeffer's Petroglyphs were Public Diplomacy of the time. Available technology was being used by skilled craftspeople to send messages that carried meaning important to the people of the time and beyond. We today are in the position of stretching our mental capacity to grasp what is being made available on the quartzite rocks. Do the messages have anything at all to do with the present human situation? Are ecological issues being addressed? Is management of violence a subject matter? What can artists discover that will enhance the arts of today? What can religions learn that will enhance the spiritual global community? My guess is that glyphs are more than interesting artifacts. Rather, they can open us to needed information from previous human experience.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Jacinth

The role of stones in religious observance is illustrated by the place of Jacinth (Hyacinth) in Hindu, Judaism, Christian and Magik practice. Jacinth has been prized since antiquity due to its brilliance and variations of color. Apparently used in armor and weaponry as well personal attire, the stone is noted in Hindu writings as well as in the Bible (Exodus and Revelation) and various astrological and horoscope related writings.

Jacinth is a golden or brown form of natural Zircon. ZrSi04 It is a mixture of Silicon and Zirconium. It is most commonly found in Srilanka, Thailand, Norway, Brazil, Australia, Russia, China, India, and the US.

The role of stones in ancient religions gives support to the notion that Petrolyph's served as a form of religious expression along with their other cultural functions. Artistic use of the colors and relative permanence of stone artifacts speaks of the working of the human mind in giving pleasure and meaning to existence.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Little Cottonwood River Virtual Tour

The landscape in which the Jeffers Petroglyphs are located can be understood best by actually visiting the site. The next best method is a virtual tour.

Go to http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/major/midminn/subshed/lcotwd/lc_2.html

The viewer will discover a comprehensive picture of the site and the surrounding territory in terms of the drainage basin of the Little Cottonwood River which flows into the Minnesota River, then to the Mississippi River and ultimately the ocean.