Eight miles east of Fallon we saw a sign for the Grimes Point Petroglyph Site, where we turned in to take a break and allow Mica her exercise. This park maintains the remnants of a once much larger area of prehistoric graffiti, now reduced in size due to vandalism during its years as a dumpsite and rumble zone for ATV enthusiasts.

Although I found the petroglyphs intriguing I couldn’t help but wonder if the interpretive signs breathlessly explaining the theology of the symbols were but a projection of our own culture’s spiritual trappings. I was reminded of Life Among the Nacirema, my freshman anthropology course’s reading that demonstrates how cultural misunderstanding can arise. My view is that the rock doodles may be exactly that.