lamented friend, Frank Hamilton Cushing, informed me that similar
or almost identical drawings are found depicted on the lava rocks of
Arizona. In a letter dated October 30, 1893, he said:

The figure you sketch for me is closely allied, for example,
to very ancient ritualistic petrographs in the lava regions
of Arizona. You will see this at a glance by the figure of
one of those petrographs, which I reproduce in juxtaposition
with yours:

Others which I have recorded are even more strikingly
similar. I have always supposed that these figures were
designed for "medicine" ceremonials, but thought of them
rather as pertaining to the medicines of the elements, wind,
rain, water, etc., used in connection with sacrifices (with
which ceremonial rites were terminated) than as connected
with actual medicinal ceremonials. I was led to this belief
by finding in connection with some of them little cup-shaped
concavities pecked into the angles of the figures (as _a, a,
a_). You will observe that a line is drawn from the middle and
straight portion of my figure and coiled around the concavity
at the right side, and that the terminations of the upper
cross lines are bifurcated around similar though smaller
concavities. This entire figure represents a water-animal
god, one only of a number of semi-human mystic monsters. For
convenience his heart is drawn out to one side, and within it
is placed the cup of the "chief" medicine; while in his left
hand is the cup of the "good" medicine, and in his right hand
the cup of "bad" (_i.e_., strong) medicine. If in the light of
this you re-examine your figure, you will see with me that it
represents a man-god sitting, his legs doubled under him and
his medicines distributed around and upon him according to his
parts, and in accordance also, probably, to their importance
and the case in hand. He must always have the chief of all
medicines placed on his heart, as the renewer of life. Then,
strictly with reference to the ailment to be treated, and its
location in the body or limbs of the patient (I should say),
the other medicines. I throw this out as a suggestion, yet
with much confidence in its at least approximate correctness as
indicated by my comparative studies. Probably a consultation of
your notes and the remembrance of variations of the ceremo