Thunderfigures

Thunderfigures is a term used to describe certain types of ancient rock art found primarily in the southwestern United States, particularly among the Pueblo cultures. These figures are often depicted in a dynamic, energetic stance, sometimes with multiple limbs or unusual proportions. They are frequently associated with thunderstorms, lightning, and rain, reflecting the crucial role these meteorological events played in the agricultural societies that created them. The art is thought to have served spiritual or ceremonial purposes, perhaps representing deities, spirits, or shamanic visions connected to the power of storms.

The exact meaning and interpretation of thunderfigures remain a subject of scholarly debate. Their abstract and stylized nature makes direct translation difficult. However, common motifs include zigzag lines, which are widely interpreted as lightning, and circular or rectangular shapes that may represent rain clouds or bodies of water. The figures themselves are often anthropomorphic, but their exaggerated features, such as large heads or elongated bodies, suggest they are not intended as literal representations of humans. They are typically found on rock faces, either as petroglyphs (images carved into the rock) or pictographs (images painted onto the rock). The surviving examples offer a glimpse into the cosmology and beliefs of ancient peoples in the region.