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Western Message Petroglyphs: A Faux Indian Picture
Posted: May 12 2025 1:21 pm
by Alston_Neal
I saw an image posted online and went WTH! This is new and weird. So I fell down into the rabbit hole and learned something new.
https://www.academia.edu/94254655/Weste ... Da-EpRCU1g
Re: Western Message Petroglyphs: A Faux Indian Picture
Posted: May 12 2025 2:09 pm
by chumley
@Alston_Neal Very cool! Before there were emojis, there were wingdings!
3.2. Tempe, Arizona
In Tempe, Arizona, two classic Western Message Petroglyph panels illustrate a second example where the geographic and historic contexts show a direct connection to the Mormon cultural sphere and routes of travel dating to the last quarter of the nineteenth century (Figure 10). The placement of two adjacent panels located on Hayden Butte are found in the riparian zone set low on a vertical sandstone wall located along a dry wash that drains to the nearby Salt River. Although not unique among WMP sites, the riparian setting (Figure 11 and Figure 12) is limited to a handful of examples6 that contrast with the lofty overlooks the majority of sites occupy.
I've seen the petros here before, but never noted them to be WMPs.
It's been a long time since there was anything riparian-like near Tempe Butte!
Re: Western Message Petroglyphs: A Faux Indian Picture
Posted: May 12 2025 5:17 pm
by Hansenaz
@Alston_Neal
Yes, very interesting. I don't believe I've ever seen one but they look obviously different from the "authentic" ones. The author's detective work, which I think blames an energetic Mormon of the late 1800s and then some copycats seems pretty sound.
There are quite a few Basque sheepherder glyphs I've run into and a few others which look weird to me (i.e. non-authentic) but are pretty cool. I'll put a few links here and any viewer can opine if interested.
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Re: Western Message Petroglyphs: A Faux Indian Picture
Posted: May 12 2025 9:39 pm
by Alston_Neal
@Hansenaz
We've seen many random glyphs thrown into older Native sites, but to see an actual planned out non Native glyph text without words or dates. Even the stylized tombstone font is not present is what made me stop and go ..what?
Re: Western Message Petroglyphs: A Faux Indian Picture
Posted: May 13 2025 6:03 am
by Hansenaz
@Alston_Neal
Yeah. So the lesson is that if you see a string of weird images, some modern, laid out a la Egyptian heiroglyphics, think "that may be one of those WMP things".