An introduction to the scriptlike petroglyphs of southeast Colorado

David J. Eccott
UK

Summary: 
The petroglyphs of Southeast Colorado, that are found amongst the division described as Pecked Abstract Style, contain a strong resemblance to alphabetic characters once used in the Middle East, and have a particularly strong correspondence to the characters of the ancient Safaitic and Thamudic alphabets. Semiticists are mostly in agreement regarding the apparent correspondence, but have been unable to translate any of the glyphic sentences using Semitic dialects. Therefore they have concluded that there is not a direct connection between the Colorado glyphs and the Safaitic and Thamudic alphabets. Despite this, those who have pioneered the research point to the fact that not all Semitic dialects and languages have been tested, and also to the fact that there are many other similarities of style and execution that would appear to provide grounds for further study and investigation into the possibility of an early Semitic influence upon the petroglyphs of Colorado.