TheWordWire.com: Pop Art and Rock Art: Mysteries Just the Same

Pop Art and Rock Art: Mysteries Just the Same


Photo: US National Archives

An interesting thing about our information age is that it doesn't leave much mystery for future anthropologists. They may wonder why we were so obsessed with Miley Cyrus, but her music, shows and photos will likely be digitally preserved from now on. Information on the "Gods and Goddesses" of our culture are not the only relics that will remain — From what we buy at the grocery store to Twittered updates du jour, our lives are well documented and easily stored.

That's not at all the case for modern people looking back, which is part of the allure of a place like Utah's Newspaper Rock.

Newspaper Rock is a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records perhaps 2,000 years of human activity in the area.

Two thousand years. That's Nearly 1,500 years before the Europeans discovered the New World. Many many thousands of years after the first humans were known to inhabit North America. It puts things in perspective.

The meaning of these symbols is still not understood, but they are typical of many sites throughout the U.S. — it could be the equivalent of graffiti on a freeway overpass, or a "newspaper" recording then-current events. Regardless, I find it fascinating to look at today.

One thing that is known about these ancient inhabitants is that their civilization abruptly disappeared. The prevailing theory is that they were driven out of the area due to drought. Future cultures may not understand our Pop Art anymore than we get this ancient Rock Art, but It's worth wondering what became of these people — future residents of the Southwest may face a similar fate.