Aztec Navigation Glyph

 Original Post March 9th 2015

Formerly referred to as the water glyph and key glyph

This glyph was first known as the Water Glyph based on the theory that it pointed out water sources.

Are we to believe that these 3 glyphs below point out the same water source they are all 3 pointing at? Are we to believe that at one time when this small basin had water in it that the Indians were just to dammed stupid to know it was water until they examined the three glyphs and ignoring the river below? I don't think so... but believe it or not, some have theorized even stranger things.

After these glyphs had the name water glyphs, the phrase of key glyph was created simply because they looked like a type of key, but more importantly it was very obvious they simply are not water glyphs.

However after investigations and study of near 150 sites scattered throughout the regions with more than 250 known sites... but for the last decade, due to extensive trial and error, study and documenting these sites, it has become clear to me and many others, that these glyphs are navigational in purpose. This hypothesis would later be confirmed by a Ute Indian who showed me in part how they were used, explaining to me, "This is how we lay out our corals, it comes from an ancient form of navigation once practiced by our ancestors, but we have forgotten how it is done." With his help and many others over the years, we believe we now understand the use of these. But now the question beckons, What are they leading to and from? The answer to this will come soon enough, but not today. In the meantime, let your imagination run away with you. But not to far, as the places and things these glyphs were left for, hundreds of years ago to lead them back to...  may be closer than you think.....

Today we call them Aztec Navigation Glyphs.

The Navigation Glyphs consist of four parts; the first main dot which we call the Sun Dot and is always at the end of the long line. The second dot often present is identified as the Venus dot, used to indicate the season of the year and which clearly shows the positioning of Venus on the horizon at sunset. The circle represents the sky or better said, the complete round of the horizon, and the long tail which represents "Path" and in this case, the path of the sun, we also refer to it as the sunset baseline. 

The ancients responsible for these glyphs knew the destructive power the sun has on the elements, especially the sandstone with standing water, and in addition to the meaning attributed, due to the standing water, the long tail also had a purpose of providing drainage to the glyph. You will notice if you have seen many of them, that they almost always have the long tail which slopes gradually away from the circle, with exception of those that have for whatever reason shifted for some cause. I have observed dozens where in the rock they are found in, has shifted and as a result the glyph not able to drain, and in these cases, the glyph is in very bad shape.

"The Aztec Navigation Glyph"

The Aztec Navigation Glyph as we now 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 LaVan 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 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 leaving the creek bank they were following, 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 say Nevada) to Johnsons Canyon. 

Today, the furthest North and almost west location is believe it or not, near Cedar City Utah. The furthest west is located at the Littlefield I-15 Exit heading south to Las Vegas. It is suspect according to the Aztec record that the first Navigation glyph heading to the North is found on a hill 40 miles North of Mexico City, we hope someday to find someone in the area to verify it's existence.

 I myself have photographed and acquire gps locations on about 120 of the Aztec glyphs. 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 as 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 Aztec glyphs. When he first laid eyes on his first Aztec 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 Aztec glyph, I knew we had it. I admit however it took me a few days to let the base to 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 360 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? Others with singular locations commonly found at river junctions? These questions should possibly 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 there 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 Aztec 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 near Holbrook and along the Little Colorado is found a single Aztec Navigation 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 glyphs 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 Arizona. 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 or the old crossing just beyond, 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.