Going Greene: Petroglyphs – Mysterious Messages Carved in Stone

By Matthew Cumberledge, Executive Director of Greene County Historical Society Museum

History is a record of the past, shared through spoken stories and written archives. In different countries and regions, historic time periods can represent widely varying and different eras of time. In Egypt, for example, recorded history dates back thousands upon thousands of years, but here in Greene County, written history tells only of a little more than the last two or three centuries.

We know that people have lived and hunted here in the rolling hills and fertile valleys of Greene County for over ten thousand years. Unfortunately, the cultures that existed prior to the arrival of European settlers either did not possess a written language, or if they did, it has become completely lost to modern times. Though some record has remained in the form of oral histories and tales, often recorded by early explorers in the region, much has been lost.  But a few tantalizing clues remain.

Throughout the world, early cultures have left some clues about their beliefs, what they did, or what they were thinking in the form of simple and sometimes obscure rock carvings. Many of these images carved into rock, or petroglyphs, exist within Greene County. Though often abused and weathered by vandalism and thousands of years of exposure to the natural elements, several examples are known and recorded.

Greene County does not boast any petroglyphs that are preserved or open to the public. The petroglyphs in Greene County are all located on privately owned land and cannot be visited without permission; exact locations will be excluded to respect property owner’s rights and discourage further vandalism. Most of the information found about Greene County’s petroglyphs is based on research from archaeological records, historical accounts and a few actual site visits. As always please respect property owner’s rights when exploring the rich history of Greene County.

Not too distant from Route 21 in Center Township, high at the end of a ridge overlooking a long and expansive valley is an unusual outcropping of sandstone.  Giant boulders dot the apex of the ridge, with smaller rocks and slabs strewn about the area behind them headed north. At the very peak is a man-made depression in a large piece of sandstone that shows extensive evidence of burning that happened over a substantial period of time. Around this depression, and on the surrounding horizontal stone surfaces, are the carved initials of visitors to the site over the last century. Unfortunately this modern graffiti obscures the ancient marks left by the indigenous peoples of the area. Almost totally obliterated, several figures can be seen; one appears to resemble a mace or staff. Zigzag figures can also be viewed.  These zigzag’s, along with representations of the human form that resemble sideways capital E’s stacked on one another, are quite commonly found on native rock carvings throughout the Ohio River Valley.

It often can be difficult to determine whether or not rock carvings are prehistoric or historic in nature, or even at all. Sometimes one site can show elements of all time periods and both native and non-native activity on the same surface.   

Andrew Waychoff records such a site in “Local History of Greene County and Southwestern Pennsylvania,” a book compiled from his 1925 series of newspaper articles. Just outside of Greene County in Monongalia County, WV there is a similar outcropping of sandstone. Waychoff records that even in 1925 the site had been heavily vandalized. However, many of the indigenous carvings are still easily viewed. On the surface of one large rock, carvings show a bear’s foot print, a rough carving of a native aiming a bow and arrow, and many of the previously mentioned zigzag and “E” shaped human figures can been seen. All of this is interwoven with the initials of many local individuals who have left their mark over the last one hundred and fifty years. Most intriguing are the very prominent carvings of three faces, in side view, that are pointing due west. The nature of these faces is unusual; similar designs are not common in native rock carvings. The only known comparable examples are found at sites in Massachusetts. While the figures appear to be wearing unusual headdresses, it is uncertain if they are native in origin or if Europeans carved them at a remote time in history for some unknown reason. The figures bear a striking resemblance to Hopewell Culture artwork that has been found at various sites in the Ohio River Valley.

These carvings of faces at the Miracle Run petroglyphs are unusual and cannot be accurately dated.

As a result of graffiti, modern carvings and the lack of dateable material it is often difficult, if not impossible, to assign an accurate date or even culture to petroglyph sites. Most petroglyphs are thought to have been carved late in prehistory and often the only clues are the mysterious designs themselves.   The bow and arrow first gained prominence in this region around one thousand years ago, so we can accurately date the petroglyphs mentioned by Waychoff to sometime after that time period, but sites that do not feature such diagnostic carvings have origins that will likely never be known.

Perhaps of all the sites in Greene County, the most well known are the petroglyphs that are near Sugar Grove Church in Monongahela Township. In his 1974 study, Rock Art of the Upper Ohio Valley, James L. Swauger wrote extensively about Sugar Grove.  The natives seemingly preferred natural outcroppings of sandstone to leave their cryptic messages; at Sugar Grove the petroglyphs are located on a very large slab of sandstone. Mr. Swauger identified 48 different designs, including abstract representations of animals, unusual geometric designs, various animal and human footprints, and several abstract representations of human faces.

Several more petroglyph sites are known throughout the county and certainly more exist that have yet to be discovered. Many go unseen as a result of moss growth, fallen leaves, and undoubtedly many have eroded and are lost to us forever. The messages left in stone during the ancient past will likely remain undeciphered, but the cryptic designs will capture our imaginations forever.

About Danielle Nyland

Current Position: Editor and Social Media Manager of GreeneScene Community Magazine. Danielle Nyland is a local photographer, artist, and writer. She is a Greene County native and currently lives in Nemacolin with her husband, Daytona, two sons, Remington and Kylo, and an English bull terrier, Sparky. Danielle has a background in graphic design, web publishing, social media, management, and photography. She graduated American Public University with an associate degree in web publishing and Bellevue University with a bachelor degree in graphic design. She has also attended the New York Institute of Photography. Before joining the team, she worked in retail and as an instructor at Laurel Business Institute. Outside of her work with the GreeneScene, she enjoys painting and drawing, photography, and loves reading books and watching movies – especially the scary ones! Danielle has been photographing and writing about local history and events since 2010 as part of the SWPA Rural Exploration team. She’s active in local community events and committees. She’s a board member with Flenniken Public Library and is on the committees for the Sheep & Fiber Festival, 50’s Fest & Car Cruise, and Light Up Night.