Petroglyphs of Grenada and a recently discovered petroglyph in StVincent . wak culture, or that of some un-known people who made the West Indiestheir home previous to the Carib occupancy,than that they are of the Carib period. In connection with investigations of thiskind, the question of the intention and pur-pose of the production of the petroglyphsforces itself upon uSo It cannot be accepted,although this has been asserted, that theyare meaningless scrawls. In our endeavorto find an acceptable theory we may beassisted by a consideration of the views ofdifferent authors who have written on t
Petroglyphs of Grenada and a recently discovered petroglyph in StVincent . wak culture, or that of some un-known people who made the West Indiestheir home previous to the Carib occupancy,than that they are of the Carib period. In connection with investigations of thiskind, the question of the intention and pur-pose of the production of the petroglyphsforces itself upon uSo It cannot be accepted,although this has been asserted, that theyare meaningless scrawls. In our endeavorto find an acceptable theory we may beassisted by a consideration of the views ofdifferent authors who have written on thesubject. While considering the difference ofopinion in relation to this question, it wouldbe well to remember that the particularwriter generally deals with one section ofthe field in which, for some reason, he isinterested. Yet something of importancemay be obtained by careful comparison ofthe different positions. Points of similaritymay lead us to less indefinite ideas in rela-tion to the matter now under discussion. Dr Theodor Koch von Grunberg® has I INDIAN NOTES. OPINIONS 151 endeavored to shed some light on this sub-ject. During his journeys in 1903-05, onthe upper Rio Negro and its branch, theYapura, he discovered a fairly large num-ber of petroglyphs, sketches of which aregiven by him. Some of the characters arenot ancient; in fact, he saw some whichhad recently been cut. He states thatTariana and Incano tribes attribute themto an ancestral hero, following the lines ofthe British Guiana tribes, who also attributethem to a more powerful race. Koch is notof the opinion that they indicate particularevents, unless dances may be considered ofimportance, as is quite probable. The prin-cipal figures are of more or less conventionalmen, women, fishes, snakes, turtles, andsome others rather difficult to- more elaborate are intended to repre-sent the dressed dancer with his feathercrown and cloak of palm-leaves. Some ofthese appear to be imperfect. Koch thinksthat
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