English: A petroglyph in Mesa Verde National Park. The boxy spiral shape likely represents the sipapu, the place where the Hopi believe they emerged from the earth.

A petroglyph is an image pecked or engraved on a rock surface. According to one Hopi elder, this petroglyph, found on Mesa Verde’s Petroglyph Point Trail, may tell the story of two clans (the Mountain Sheep Clan and the Eagle Clan) separating from other people and returning to their place of origin. Notice the boxy spiral shape? This likely represents a sipapu, the place where Pueblo people believe they emerged from the earth (believed to be near the Grand Canyon). You can also see the head and arms of a figure, and on the bottom right, a possible Katsina clan symbol.

Like many petroglyphs, this panel seems intended to communicate the oral stories that keep Native American cultures alive. Sadly, some ancient petroglyphs at Mesa Verde have been destroyed by recent fires. On the other hand, many tribes believe that human creations such as these were meant to fall back to the earth rather than to be preserved beyond their natural life. The stories and interpretations of them change over time, much as stories do that are passed down in your own family and culture.