阅读理解
Rock
art is the name given to pictures drawn on rock by ancient peoples. In the American
Southwest, rock art can be seen on the walls of caves and mountains. Many of
these places are in the Four Corners area, where the states of Arizona，Colorado, Utah, and
New Mexico meet. More than 7, 000 rock art places have been found just in Utah,
where the area's dry climate(气候)has helped keep the
art.
There
are three forms of rock art. The first is petroglyphs, which are pictures
carved(雕刻)into the surface of
rock. A sharp(尖利的)stone may have been used as a carving
tool. A heavy stone may have been used to hit the sharp stone into the surface.
The second form of rock art is pictographs, which are pictures painted on the
rock. The paint was made from plants and trees. The artists painted with
fingers, brushes made from hair，or bird bones. The
third kind of rock art is geoglyphs(峡口浮雕), which are
designs made in the ground by taking away stones.
Some
rock art shows faces, hands, animals, and trees. Other pictures are symbols
such as lines, circles, and squares. Some scientists think these symbols marked
the location of water or good hunting grounds. Some think the symbols were put
there during special celebrations. Others think the symbols showed the movement
of planets and stars. Still others believe that they were just doodles.
Some
rock art may be a form of writing. Large scenes are shown on mountains. Some
scenes seem to tell a story. A hunting scene may include animals and people
with hunting tools. A scene with many people holding hands could mean
friendship. Rock art in caves may have been a way to decorate the artist's
home.
Some
rock art in the Southwest is about 200 years old. Other rock art may be 10, 000
years old. Scientists think an ancient people called the Anasazi created the
older works. They were farmers and lived in caves.
