The Aztec Navigation Hieroglyph PART 3

"The Key Glyph"

The Key Glyph as we have come to call it, is called many other things and or thought to be other things, such as a water glyph used to locate water, sacrificial blood letting altars, eagle traps and even the remains of an olive press. Most of these ideas I can see how one would come up with this but the bottom line is, none of them hold water. Many questions need to be resolved concerning them and one in particular that I feel not many are in a position to analyze is, do they conform with LeVan Martineau’s theory? One of theories comes close and the creator has obviously done a little research on the subject but I am going to bring clarification to them and show you what they are really all about.

A not so typical Key Glyph

The glyph in the previous photo is found with two others surrounding a small occasional pool which is most of the time, dry. Each of the 3 glyphs found at this site has its tail as we sometimes call it, pointing at the pool in three different directions. Is it possible the Natives were so stupid that they needed to climb a 1000 foot bluff to find a small pool of water that they could not be sure that it was water they were looking at until they saw the three glyphs pointing at it before they knew it was water? I don’t think so.

If it was a sacrificial blood letting alter, some one please explain to me who it was that did Blood Letting to the tune of needing a collection system this large for its purpose? Do these people know what a blood letting ritual is? They didn't cut off their arm or leg for this purpose it was a simple piercing in which only enough blood was acquired to collect on a small paper like substance to be burned. The act of burning the sacrificed blood symbolized the transference of the offering to the gods via its transformation into the rising smoke. The frequency at some of the sites where these are found can exceed 10 within 100 yards distance. For those that still believe this was some sacrificial related thing, the Aztec sacrifices pertaining to cutting out the heart and the flaying of men did not start until long after the Aztecs had left their homeland, Aztlan, in fact near 300 years after.

These glyphs are found in a relatively small area comparatively speaking. From St. George, (some says Nevada) to Johnsons Canyon, I myself have photographed and acquire a gps location on about 120 of them. They are always found horizontal UNLESS the rock it is found on has broken off and tilted, they are always in an elevation advantage point for viewing the horizon and when found in large groups; seem to be some what random within the confined area. They are about 4 feet in length with the often oval shape circle at about 18 inches in diameter.

The glyphs are without a doubt, Navigational in purpose but the tail does NOT point to any intended target, in order to discover its hidden intended direction one has to learn how to Navigate the glyph, other wise, why didn't they just put an arrow on the rock with the symbol for water? Why is it an encrypted glyph? It has long been suspect. Although I have explained the way these glyphs were used and I am not shy about showing some one I will not expand upon in it here in full detail but will much of it. But I will explain somewhat how I learned how to use them and a bit about how to use them.

In about 2001 I took a Ute friend of mine named Paul Tabbee with me to the Arizona strip to document some newly discovered Key glyphs. When he first laid eyes on his first Key glyph he remained silent. He continued this not saying a word about them the whole day after seeing near a dozen of them. On one of the last ones that day he broke his silence regarding the glyphs and said that they reminded him of the way the Ute (Descendants of the Aztec), lay out their corals and then explained it to me. As he drew it out in the sand he explained that this comes from an ancient form of navigation that his people use to use, but that they had forgotten how it works. What he explained to me was the importance of a consistent base line that had to be present, something on the horizon that was consistent. After seeing his sketch on the ground which looked just like a Key glyph, I knew we had it. I admit however it took me a few days to let the base line sink in as to how it was applied and it wasn’t until I returned home that I figured it out.

The answer to the base line was the Sunset, but this in and of itself was a slight problem knowing there are 3 distinct key sunset locations, fall/spring, winter and summer, of which was intended? Now, let me back up a bit, as with all glyphs I have encountered I have discovered the key to unlocking the mystery of a given panel, was to learn the subject of the panel, this enables you to do what I call a breakdown of the panel and as a result you can confirm or deny the suspect subject by attributing to correct base meaning of each symbol within the glyph. If it all comes together smoothly there is a high probability you are on the right track and if not, you best be looking for another possible subject.

Now applying the principles of LaVan Martineau and the break down process developed by myself, we can now analyze the possibility. In order to navigate using this glyph there are certain things that are needed. A Consistent base line, A Horizon, and in order to cast a shadow, we need certain positioning of the sun and a certain easily made tool to apply the principles, but how do you navigate 360 degrees by using a shadow? That will come.

Here are the base meanings attributed by LaVan and myself.

Now that we have the breakdown with the base meaning, let’s add in the derivative words of the base meanings using the suspect subject of Navigation.

In this picture above we find the best derivative word for the base meaning according to the subject and the puzzle begins to unfold. The easiest way to show how this works is to simply show someone how to do it. But that’s not likely going to happen for all so in a nut shell let’s look at the following images for explanation. Each portion of the glyph which is a combination of symbols now has its identification as it relates to navigation.

Now that we understand the basics of this Glyph lets begin the explanation. In the following image we find a glyph with the fall position dot, noonday sun dot and the sunset base line carved at 218 degrees. Place a 3 foot pole in the sun dot vertical and record the shadow location of 350 degrees.

Now using your own home built protractor stick using a couple of rulers with a hole drilled in them at the end and secured with a wing nut, adjust it to lay down in the sunset base line and the recorded shadow location lining it up and secure.

Then rotate the Shadow and Baseline pole so the baseline pole is pointing to the intended sunset, if the pole does not move changing the angle, the shadow pole will now be pointing in the intended direction of travel.

Now why would the Aztec assuming they are the one who made these, encode them so that only they would understand them?

The Aztec have had enemies since their conception and even long before they were known as such, pathways leading to things of a religious or otherwise nature may have been sacred enough to them as to not publicize where these things or places may be. It just makes sense regardless. However the question that most pondered by myself is why are these glyphs found in such a high concentration in a relatively small geographical area comparatively speaking if navigational in purpose? That question should at this time remain a mystery simply because there are some among the public that just don’t need to know.

I have known not only through reading but suspected in the past that the Aztec no doubt had a hieroglyph in which they used to navigate to and from key places, and one would no doubt be the caves in which they emerged and had lived for so long. If this hypothesis were true, then it would seem that there would be a trail of these glyphs leading away from the known general area in which they are found. At this time that area would be considered as being from the east at about Johnsons Canyon which is east to Kanab, west to the area of St. George, North to either Gooseberry plateau to the west or Kanab Canyon more so to the east and southerly I have documented them south of Colorado City as far as the Yellowstone Mesa.

What I have been on the lookout for over the years is anything stemming away from and outside of what we can only guess as the general area. The reason for this is, if these are navigational in purpose and according to the hypothesis were used to travel back and forth, then their must be a trail or even two leading away from this general area. The Yellowstone Mesa location almost insinuates this but it just isn’t far enough removed from the general area in which the majorities are found. Finding one further south from Yellowstone and isolated, would certainly add credence to one of the suspect trails leading to or away from the area.

Somewhat recent, a friend contacted me and told me of some new glyphs that had been found, and I had discovered through a report I had read that one had been found at Marble Canyon where in I would fully expect to find one, but I would not suspect any others stemming from that location with one small exception. Now if my suspicions are correct and this location at Marble canyon does exist, then I would suspect it as being an end location and thus, a trail of them must be leading to or away from this location and this is what my friend has brought to my attention.

From the Marble canyon location and about 120 miles as a crow flies, we find 3 more of these key glyphs along the Little Colorado where I have suspected for a long time they would be found. Between the junction of the Little Colorado and the Colorado to Winslow Arizona and along the Colorado would be a great place to look as there is no doubt additional Glyphs in between.

I am also informed that another 40 miles to the South East from Winslow and along the Little Colorado is found a single Key Glyph. It would seem a trail is being established here. No sooner than I expanded upon this speculating as to where the possible trail may go from this southern location, another friend tells me two are found in Texas, although we do not currently know exactly where these are located, I would bet they are found along the Rio Grand at the western border of Texas.

One might wonder why 3 are found at this southern location of Winslow. It is suspect that One leads to the western trail or crossing of the Grand Canyon via Flagstaff, and one leads northward to an important feature or two near Marble Canyon, and the third, will instruct the traveler to the south eastern location found 40 miles away or one in between. In other words, the third is leading back to Mexico. This location of 3 is no doubt a junction of trails. I can’t wait to prove or disprove this hypothesis.