Surprising Secrets of Petroglyphs Revealed by Utah Man

What Were Native Peoples Trying to Say on the Rocks? 

There are many petroglyphs chipped into the patina on the cliffs and boulders of the west. What do these rock pictures mean?

Most of the proclaimed experts on rock art say it is a record left and only understood by the person who inscribed it. There has been little headway made to understand the writings and only vague descriptions of what they might mean. 

Man Raised in Southern Utah by Paiutes May Have the Key

There was a very interesting man named LeVan Martineau who was born in Kanab and moved to Cedar City. He was orphaned at a young age and raised by a Paiute man who took him in.

Martineau learned Paiute and also Indian sign language as he grew up. He later served in the military and was trained somewhat in breaking codes. With this combination of languages and learning to find the meaning behind symbols, Martineau began to understand the writing on the rocks.

He noticed similarities between the sign language, that was universal among tribes, and the pictures tapped into the patina. He claimed the petroglyphs were a way to communicate using pictures that conveyed what was said in sign language. 

The Panel That Provided the Key to Interpreting

His real breakthrough came when he discovered a petroglyph panel that told the story of Custer and his war with the Native Americans. Because he knew the story, it helped him interpret the pictures and what they meant.

For example, he shows how direction is described by the way an animal is facing and how the journey went is shown between the horns. If it is clear there, the journey was easy, if it is solid between, they had a lot of trouble. 

How to Find This Man's Life Work

Martineau died in 2000, but during his lifetime he translated hundreds of panels and wrote a couple books. The books are interesting, and he describes different rock art and what it means. Martineau grew up in Southern Utah and spent time with many of the panels found throughout this area.

His books are available in Washington County Libraries. "The Rock Begin to Speak" and "The Southern Paiutes: Legends, Lore, Language and Lineage" are the two by Martineau.

Read More: The Truth About Turquoise and Utah’s Native Peoples

I found it very enlightening. His lives' work was left to his daughter. There has been some attempts to organize it and get it published. Hopefully his insights and research will be preserved.