Pictographs
& Petroglyphs

An elderly man with glasses, a white hat, and a white shirt pointing at a shadow on a sandstone wall, with other desert landscape elements in the background.
Ancient petroglyphs of a humanoid figure, a dog, and a lizard carved into reddish stone.

Southern Utah panel which appears to depict the rain god with a corn plant on his right and an early maize cob on his left.

“I feel these are images of atypical observations, and the impression on the observer was so strong that they needed to record them on stone for posterity!”

~Ray Urbaniak

Explore the articles Ray wrote about pictographs and petroglyphs featured in Pleistocene Coalition News and on his Facebook page:

• Ancient Native American rock art far more diversified than anyone expected, PCN Jan/Feb 2024, page 1

• Comparing sizes of proposed dwarf pronghorn and jack rabbit depictions, PCN Jan/Feb 2024, pages 18-19

• Unusual horns may indicate a new species of pronghorn, PCN Nov/Dec 2023, page 8

• More enigmatic rock art from the Grand Canyon and Winslow, AZ, PCN Nov/Dec 2023, pages 18-19

• Evaluation of a 1964 paper on an Ibex skull from Iowa, PCN Sept/Oct 2023, pages 10-11

• Case for a worldwide early written language, PCN Sept/Oct 2023, pages 22-24

• Analysis of a very old and unique petroglyph, PCN July/Aug 2022, page 8

• Extinct Volcano Equinox Markers, Facebook, Sept 22, 2021

• American Cheetah, PCN May/June 2021, page 16

• Camelops and possible rock art footprint symbols, PCN Mar/April 2021, pages 12-13

• Winter solstice follow-up to ‘Analysis of an intriguing micro-petroglyph in Utah’, PCN Jan/Feb 2021, pages 14-15

• Gomphothere pictograph, PCN Jan/Feb 2021, pages 16-17

• Possible woolly rhinoceros pictograph, PCN Nov/Dec 2020, page 11

• Analysis of an intriguing micro-petroglyph in Utah, PCN May/June 2020, pages 12-14

• Possible locations of Pleistocene rock art in North America, PCN Mar/April 2020, pages 13-15

• ‘Twisted perspective’ in rock art, PCN Jan/Feb 2020, page 15

• Animal Petroglyph, Facebook, Dec 17, 2019

• Intriguing figures in Southwest U.S. rock art, PCN May/June 2019, page 13

• Fascinating similarities between the rock art of Australia and the Arizona Strip, PCN March/April 2019, pages 10-12

• Reconsidering Paleolithic and other depictions and how knowledge is transmitted over time, PCN March/April 2019, pages 13-14

• Three-horned animal depictions, follow-up, PCN Jan/Feb 2019, page 15

• Rock art rebels-breaking with tradition, PCN Jan/Feb 2019, pages 12-14

• Experimental archaeology and Paleolithic-style hand stencils, PCN Nov/Dec 2018, pages 12-13

• Three-horned animals on a Utah rock art panel, PCN Sept/Oct 2019, pages 16-17

• Earliest maize depicted in southern Utah petroglyph, Part 2: Antiquity-corroborating images, PCN March/April 2018, pages 19-21

A man wearing cowboy sunglasses and a hat kneeling outdoors in a desert landscape, pointing at a small model of a pronghorn antelope made of wire. The scene is sepia-toned.

A man wearing cowboy sunglasses and a hat kneeling outdoors in a desert landscape, pointing at a small model of a pronghorn antelope made of wire. The scene is sepia-toned.

Close-up of a split-twig figure of a deer or bighorn sheep, an artifact from Dolores Cave near Gunnison, Colorado, dated around 2,500 BCE.

Close-up of a split-twig figure of a deer or bighorn sheep, an artifact from Dolores Cave near Gunnison, Colorado, dated around 2,500 BCE.

A collage with a black background featuring small wooden chairs arranged in a semi-circle at the top, and a textured rock or stone surface at the bottom, divided into two parts.

A collage with a black background featuring small wooden chairs arranged in a semi-circle at the top, and a textured rock or stone surface at the bottom, divided into two parts.

Comparison of ancient rock art carvings of antelopes in southern Utah with modern-day illustrations of large and small pronghorns, showing similarities in shape and size.

Comparison of ancient rock art carvings of antelopes in southern Utah with modern-day illustrations of large and small pronghorns, showing similarities in shape and size.

Cartoon of cavemen sitting on a rock, talking about painting on a wall to prove a point. In the background, there are stick figures of humans fighting or playing.

Cartoon of cavemen sitting on a rock, talking about painting on a wall to prove a point. In the background, there are stick figures of humans fighting or playing.

Close-up image of ancient Utah rock art depicting a petroglyph of a bighorn sheep with what appears to be a smaller animal on its back.

Close-up image of ancient Utah rock art depicting a petroglyph of a bighorn sheep with what appears to be a smaller animal on its back.

A small black goat standing on top of a brown sheep, which is standing on a larger gray sheep.

A small black goat standing on top of a brown sheep, which is standing on a larger gray sheep.

This follow up article on three horned animals shows probable motion of two horned animals heads bobbing up and down, when they are running, just as two horse legs look like three legs when they are running.

This follow up article on three horned animals shows probable motion of two horned animals heads bobbing up and down, when they are running, just as two horse legs look like three legs when they are running.