Petroglyph

A petroglyph is a special kind of picture made by shaping rock surfaces. People create petroglyphs by scratching, chipping, or smoothing parts of a rock to tell a story or share an idea. These carvings are a type of rock art, and many of them were made a very long time ago by ancient peoples.

The oldest known petroglyphs are found at a place called Murujuga in Western Australia. These amazing carvings are believed to be between 40,000 and 50,000 years old! Some petroglyphs are so important that they are protected like treasures, and a few have even been named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, an group that helps keep the world’s special places safe.

Etymology and meaning

The word petroglyph comes from the Greek prefix petro-, from πέτρα petra meaning "stone", and γλύφω glýphō meaning "carve". It was first used in French as pétroglyphe.

In scholarly texts, a petroglyph is a rock engraving, while a petrograph (or pictograph) is a rock painting. Both are part of the larger group called rock art or parietal art. Petroforms, which are patterns made with large rocks on the ground, are different. Inuksuk are human-made rock shapes found in Arctic regions, but they are not petroglyphs.

History

Petroglyphs can be found all over the world except Antarctica, especially in parts of Africa, Scandinavia, and Siberia. Many of these ancient carvings date back to around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, near the end of the Neolithic and the late Upper Paleolithic periods.

The oldest known petroglyphs are located in Murujuga, Western Australia, and some of them are believed to be between 40,000 and 50,000 years old. In July 2025, this important site was named a World Heritage Site.

Though new forms of art like pictographs and ideograms began appearing around 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, petroglyphs were still made by many cultures. Some groups kept creating them until they met Western culture in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Interpretation

People have many ideas about why ancient people made petroglyphs. Some believe these carvings were very important to the cultures that created them, perhaps tied to their beliefs or ceremonies. Others think petroglyphs were like an early kind of writing or a way to share messages that we don’t fully understand today.

Some petroglyphs show maps of trails or landmarks, and others act like markers for special times or places in the sky. They might have also been part of special rituals. For example, in India, some petroglyphs look like musical instruments. Over time, people in different places developed their own styles, but some look alike even though they are far apart. This might be because people traveled long distances or shared common ideas long ago. Some think that spiritual leaders made some petroglyphs during special, altered states of mind. Certain patterns in petroglyphs are also found in our brains naturally and can appear when people experience unusual visions.

Notable petroglyph sites

Main article: List of petroglyph sites

Petroglyphs are special pictures carved into rocks by ancient people. Some of the oldest and most famous petroglyphs can be found at Murujuga in Western Australia. These carvings are believed to be between 40,000 and 50,000 years old, making them some of the earliest known examples of human art. These ancient drawings give us a glimpse into the lives and stories of people from long ago.