Significance of the “T” Shape to the Ancient Anasazi, and Possible Connection to India

Originally published in 2003, Ancient American Magazine, Volume 10 Number 62, pages 26-29

It was early spring, and as Boma Johnson and I crested a small hill on a dirt road that ran along the top of Little Creek Mesa, Boma read directions from a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) sheet. “Continue on about a mile past the Teahouse turnoff…” I stopped my Bronco in the middle of the road and opened the door. “‘T’ house?,” I said.

It had been over a week since we had canceled our visit to a Pueblo and Petroglyph site on Little Creek Mesa. We had to wait until the roads dried following an early spring snowstorm. The temperature was now back in the 70s and perfect for a site visit. Boma Johnson, a retired BLM archeologist, and I had just been speaking about the significance of the “T” shape to the Anasazi, so when he read “Teahouse,” I heard “T” house.

As it turned out, I heard correctly. Apparently, somebody only knew how to express the shape “T” by using the word “Tea” on the BLM sheet. The people at the BLM probably just copied this from an earlier document and were unaware that there was even a pueblo at this location. The small hill, on which the pueblo sat, was in the middle of nowhere. In other words, there wasn’t any stream or visible water source in sight. The spot had been used in more recent years by cattle ranchers, and there was a small corral and fenced area on the site. It was hard to discern a “T” shape, due to human and cattle disturbance, but the pueblo was obviously a pueblo II period Anasazi site with the requisite pottery sherds and flakes, which had worked their way to the surface of the ground.

It was not a place I would expect to find a pueblo, but possibly there was a spring nearby during Anasazi times. And during a period of greater precipitation, it must have been suitable for dry farming. The “T” shape was very important to the Anasazi. The biggest confirmation comes from the denial in Frank Waters’ “Book of the Hopi”. The Hopi said that the “T” shape represented the Hopi man’s hairstyle with “traditional hair bangs falling down over his ears.” (pages 129 & 130). [1] It is obvious that the “T” shape remains so sacred to the Hopi that they won’t speak about it. Another hint of the sacredness of the “T” can be seen in the Apache ceremonial use of “T” shaped necklaces.

When we did reach our destination, there were at least a couple of “I” shaped petroglyphs (Photo 1) which could be referred to as double “T” shapes.

In Peru and Bolivia, “T” shaped notches in stone blocks have been found (Photo 2). When two blocks were butted together, they formed a double “T” and were held together with bronze “I” shaped inserts in Bolivia. It is not known if these have any spiritual significance, in addition to being a building technique. However, Gary Ziegler says that of the 3 sites he knows of in Peru. “They seem to be limited to important ceremonial constructions.” He also states that they really had no functional use, and “It is significant that no metal clamps/staples have been found at Inca sites. I believe it is likely that the clamps, if they had existed at all, were made of Gold or Silver instead of bronze, as at Tiahuanaco. This would explain why none have been found, as looters would have removed them.”[2]

This tied in with another site I had visited a couple of weeks earlier on the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, when I confirmed my speculation that the site was dedicated to the Spring Equinox. On the Spring Equinox, one of the light interactions I had noted was two “T” shapes that were aligned on the rock with the light shadow cast on that day (Photos 3 & 4).

It should also be noted that according to the Maya, a “T” represents ½ of a “+.” Half of which is in the spiritual world. The light also fell across a “+,” probably representing the spirit world made visible (Photo 5).

What I am trying to convey with the quadrants above in (Slide 1) is that they represent the life force that is always there, but not always visible. Even in the middle of winter, the life force is there, but it isn’t until late spring & mid-summer that the full life force is made visible. This is when all the plants bloom, the insects flourish, all the young animals are born or are out with their parents, etc. This is the visible aspect of the underlying life force, which is only truly visible in the Summer.

“T” & “O” Shaped Spiritual & Dimensional Portals

It is only recently that we can see the possibility of traveling into deep space via our engineering achievements. This will be the fulfillment of mankind’s dream, which has persisted for thousands of years. However, this does not mean that no one has yet wished to visit the stars. Over thousands of years, Shamans from around the world may have developed their own “non-technical” means of travel, since technology was not an option. Those with the spiritual Development, Wisdom, & strongest desire may have already ventured to the stars. A spaceship was not an option, so they pursued the options available to them! Spiritual Portals & Dimensional Portals were their vehicles.[3]

A “T” Shaped Doorway According to Omeakaehekatl

(Erick Gonzalez), An Aj Q’ij of the Cakchikel Maya (Mexico), “The Symbol of I’q is drawn as a ‘T’ representing a doorway into the Spirit World and other Dimensions. The “T” forms half of a cross; the other half lies in the Spirit World. The Wind Spirit is the half of the manifestation that we cannot see in the physical realm. Many of the Mayan Temples have doorways and windows in the shape of a “T”. They are not only physical doorways but also spiritual doorways. Air is the vehicle into the Spirit that is controlled by the breath.”[4]

According to Alex Patterson in A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest quotes on page 197, Mc Kern 1978:13,41. “The ‘T’ shaped doorways were found to exclusively offer ingress and egress to and from rooms immediately adjoining kivas and towers, or situated in towers (at Mesa Verde) (Attachment A).

In sum, there is some evidence to support the opinion that T-shaped doorways were present only in ceremonial chambers or rooms used by shamans, priests, or similar personages.”[5] Patterson also quotes Dipeso (7) 1974:324-325... speaking about altar stones found at Casas Grandes (Photo 6), Mexico, “Two of the slabs had centrally placed T-shaped openings through them...The resemblance in the T-shape to those of actual doorways...suggested that these holes were possibly made as “spirit entrances”.

In fact, “T” shaped dwellings are also found in Mexico & Peru as well as India (Photos 7-11).

I have included a photo below of a dimensional doorway in Peru near Lake Titicaca (Attachment B).

Threshold Guardians, and “O” Shapes

These figures, according to Hank Wesselman in his book SPIRITWALKER, quote Joseph Campbell as referring to them as “Threshold Guardians” (Attachment C).

These figures are the Guardians of Space & Time Dimensions.[7]

This is something I discovered after being fascinated by them and having an unexpected mind-shattering experience before discovering their true purpose.3 It must also be noted that I observed that if the sun shines through a “T” shaped doorway that the shadow cast is in the shape of a threshold guardian (Slide 2).

Connection “T” Shape & Threshold Guardians

The outline formed above is from a sandstone “T” sculpture, made by the author, which faces east.

Mimbres Bowls may have also been inspired by visions. The lip of the Mimbres pot shown in (Attachment D) is a circle “O” which is another symbol for a portal.

Attachment D, Mimbres Bowl

This symbol appears in Rock Art, but in this bowl it also signifies a dimensional portal, and the Shaman depicted inside the bowl(Portal), has a dimensionally shifting “Pot” to “Bowl” to “Pot” in front of him! (Optical Illusion). In Fools Crow, Wisdom & Power by Thomas Mails, Fools Crow speaks about what sometimes happens to him while in the Purification (Sweat) Lodge(Which is also a Circular Portal “O”).

On pages 107-108, he says, “I shake my rattle & sing my song. Then I lay my rattle down and pull my arms, bent at the elbows, tightly to my sides. With my eyes closed and my hands cupped, I concentrate as powerfully as I can upon the idea of my being lifted up. I begin to shiver, and I stomp my feet. Before long, I feel myself preparing to soar up like an eagle into space.....Pretty soon, I feel my body coming apart, and I both feel and see my spirit leaving it. My spirit looks like me, just like I look when I am in my body, and I am the same age. Up and up I go to where the Person is that I am going to visit. It only takes me seconds to get there, although I see myself speeding past birds, then clouds, the planets, and stars. I even pass through what the white man calls the Milky Way.”[7]

Spiral galaxies were seen and recorded long before the discovery of the telescope. (see Attachments E, a petroglyph from Utah & F, a photograph of a spiral galaxy). Note that the same bright stars show on the petroglyph as show in the photograph.

Spider Woman, Datta & “T” Shaped Doorway

In the above photos on (Slide 3), I have also determined that the “T” shaped doorway is associated with Spider Woman. There are 8 corners to a “T-shaped’ doorway. In addition, there is most likely a connection between Spider Woman in the West and Lord Datta as her counterpart in the East. The equivalents of Spider Woman & Lord Datta can also be found in Peru.

The “T” building, Spider-Man's connections to India may be more than a pure coincidence. Gene D. Matlock asserts in Ancient American Magazine, issue no. 51, that the Americas were visited by sailors from India long ago. “But India is not a single country as so many people think. It is a union of many nations and tribes, just as Europe is a group of nations having similar cultures. The Yadavas who spread Indian influences all over the world were known as western Puni and Eastern Pani (shippers and international traders), and their guards and protectors, the Yuddhis. Our history books mention them as Phoenicians and Jews. Collectively, they were called Khyberis (Kheebers or Hebers) because they originated in the Khyber mountain region of Afghanistan.”

The St. George, Utah area was visited by a group of Tibetan Monks in October 2004. The Drepung Loseling Monastery tour group of monks came to Utah to construct a Sand Mandala. They created a special healing mandala which contained "T" shapes. Geshe Jinpa Wangpo(head monk) gave a talk one evening at "Inner Light Yoga Center" in Hurricane, Utah. The talk was on the symbols used in the Sand Mandala. After the talk, during questions & answers, I asked the Geshe, "What is the significance of the ‘T’ shape in the mandala?" He replied, "It represents the inner gateway". This is a strong, further confirmation of the significance of the "T" shape & a probable connection to India since the Tibetans are from the same region. It was also noted that the mandala has 8 Buddhas in the center, which may have a connection to "Spider Woman.”

It can be further speculated that the Threshold Guardian may very well represent Spider Woman, as per (Slide 4).

1. Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi (Penguin Books, Viking Penguin Inc., 1977) pages 129 &130.

2. Gary Ziegler, Inca Architecture: The “T” Groove; Symbol, Gold or Bronze? http://www.adventurespecialists.org/tgroove.html

3. Ray Urbaniak, 2001 an Anasazi Odyssey(A Spiritual Journey Carved in Stone), (Ray Urbaniak, Hurricane, UT 2002).

4. OMEAKAEHEKATL(Erick GonZalez), The Most Important Element; Air(Rediscovery Report, Spring/Summer Repot, 2001) pages 2-3.

5. Alex Patterson, A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the greater Southwest(Johnson Books: Boulder, CO, 1992) page 197.

6. Thomas E. Mails, Secret Native American PATHWAYS (Council Oak Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1988) page 217. Is the Threshold Guardian also a Manifestation of Spider Woman? 16

7. Thomas E. Mails, Fools Crow, Wisdom and Power(Council Oak Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1991) pages 107-108.

8. Photos 9, 10, 12 & 13 from THE INCAS and their Ancestors, The Archeology of Peru, By Michael E. Moseley, (Thames and Hudson, 1993) pages 114,178,179 & 259.

9. Photos 7 & 8 from The Temple in the House, by Anthony Lawlor, (G.P. Putnam’s & Sons, NY 1994) pages 11 & 48.