By Lennox J Hernandez
Petroglyphs are picture-writing images (pictograms – a pictorial symbol for a word or phrase; or logograms – a sign or character representing a word or phrase) created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading. Petroglyphs are found worldwide and the term is usually used in the context of prehistoric peoples.
Guyana has its own petroglyphs and these are strong evidence of human presence here as much as 7,000 years ago (our Indigenous peoples). The late Dr Denis Williams (1923-1998) is still our greatest exponent on this subject, culminating in his posthumous publication, “Prehistoric Guiana”.
Williams defined three types of petroglyphs in Guyana: the Enumerative or Aishalton type; the Fish Trap type; and the Timehri type. Later, he discovered what he determined was a sub-type of the Enumerative Type which he named the Cuneiform Type.
Simply put, the Enumerative Type gives an account of prehistoric events, while the Fish Trap type is associated with a severe drought in South America about 4,000 years ago – this particular petroglyph represents types of fish traps, indicating the type of fish that are found in a nearby pond.
These photographs depict a few of the Rupununi petroglyphs. The markings on the rocks are highlighted with white chalk so the image can be easier seen. Unfortunately, decay of these prehistoric artefacts is becoming more rapid and is of great concern to the national heritage.
Weathering is a dominant cause of decay in most cases, whilst in some cases the rock being in a water body poses a challenge for conservation. In contemporary times the greatest challenge however, is the damage caused by persons who have no care for such heritage items.
