Coming from the Greek words "Petros" and "Glyphein" the French Pétroglyphe is translated into English as Petroglyph, which are images carved into rocks in prehistoric times. Before written language as we know it, petroglyphs were an important communication method used from around 10,000 BC until more modern writing was developed. Found worldwide, except in Antarctica, they differ from pictographs on the basis that pictographs are painted onto the rock surface. They are also further differentiated from standard cave paintings or rock art by the fact that each petroglyph attempts to convey a specific word, instead of a generic scene. The key to understanding a petroglyph lies in the culture that created it, and therefore they are often examined based on the location where they're found.

History and locations
There are no definitive dates on when petroglyphs were first done on the Hawaiian Islands, but the rough estimate is around 500 AD. The practice was thought to have been brought with the settling population from their Polynesian heritage. They started as simple stick figures, but eventually changed with the arrivals of Westerners. They are located all over the Hawaiian archipelago, with major concentration on the Big Island.

The 233 acre Puako Petroglyph Archeological Preserve and Pu'u Loa are the prime locations on Hawaii itself with smaller numbers across the Maui and Lanai islands. However, their locations are far from random as they are used to mark places of importance such as those with spiritual meaning to the ancient Hawaiians. Many of these spots the ancient Hawaiians believed were concentrations of a cosmic power called Mana. Given the geology of the Hawaiian Islands it's easy to see why petroglyphs are all over the place.

The volcanic nature facilitates carving. Lava flows, lava tubes and soft large boulders were the favorite locations where the petroglyphs could be created with simple prehistoric tools like a hammer along with a sharp rock. Using the hammer was a case of connect-the-dots style of drawing while the malleable Hawaiian stones had petroglyphs etched into them with harder sharper rocks.

Types of petroglyphs
Petroglyphs can be broken up into three main groups, the descriptive, symbolic, and cryptic. Since they are often used to illustrate common happenings like births and deaths the descriptive petroglyphs are easy to understand depicting everyday items like the natives themselves, their farming, livestock, and weather. Symbolic and Cryptic are tougher to understand as their full meanings may only be known to the specific creator whether an individual or under tribal direction. What also makes them difficult to decipher is the evolution of the petroglyph over time and in some cases additions or alterations done by subsequent generations of artists. For example, the human figure went through three styles, stick figure, a basic human form, and then sexually explicit.

Hawaiian petroglyph meanings
Hawaiian Kapu social structure made clear the roles of both males and females. Males were drawn with a closed triangular torso to indicate their gender, but a few had an arc above their heads to show they were of significance or honored status like a warrior. These are referred to as Rainbow man. As the different tribes were constantly at war there are many petroglyphs to symbolize the aspects of battle starting with the Kukini, meaning messenger. This running stick figure denoted important communication or travel worthy trails. Armies were drawn as a line of stick figures, while fighting petroglyphs had stick warriors, called koa, facing off against each other with weapons high above their heads. More sedate pastimes can be seen in the male dancer, a male figure with a gourd added next to him, and leisure travel, another male carving under a mountain and a circle denoting going around the island.

Female themed carvings are by far most the dominant, because they not only represent the women, but family as well. Like male carvings they also have a triangular shaped torso, but it's open to indicate the birth canal. Variations include the Rainbow woman. Similar to the Rainbow man, it also denotes a woman of status or importance. For birth the woman is drawn squatting with a smaller figure beneath her, multiple figures indicate the more than one child. The female's role as a protector of the family interests has her carved with arms outstretched. She's also used as modifier when next to certain petroglyphs to show the method of living and the child's expected occupation.

Above the rainbow men and women, called Kahuna, were the ruling class or royalty know as Ali'i. They were illustrated similarly to the rainbow men, but had sun-like streaks off the arcs around their head.

Living on an island meant that the ocean played a large part in society and many of the petroglyphs showed the Hawaiian connection to the water around them. The Wa'a (canoe) is quickly identifiable by the distinctive crab claw shaped sail and the act of canoeing is drawn as a stick man holding paddles above their head in a less aggressive manner than the similar warrior petroglyph. The latter was important to show fishing and individual travel. Of course, the Hawaiians are associated with the great sport of surfing and many petroglyphs recorded its invention as figures atop horizontal drawn lines. Other sea based activities are clearly identifiable. Stick men standing over a fish with pole in hand obviously says Lawai'a or fisherman.

Petroglyphs also show the fisherman's tool of the trade, the hook, in stylized manners. However, the fish drawing was not specific, but represented what they called L'a, or any sea animal. One animal that did get its own symbol was the sea turtle as it was admired by the locals for its navigational skills.

Future for petroglyphs
For the Hawaiians petroglyphs are a link to the past. Many of these symbols find their way to the body of locals through tattoos in recognition and respect. Their permanence is not only threatened by natural erosion, but human interaction as well. Photographs of petroglyphs are welcome, but visitors to Hawaii will be reminded that rubbings or complete removal of these ancient artifacts is restricted.

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