Petroglyphes in the Pacific

Petroglyphes are stone carvings found all over the Pacific. In New Caledonia there are more than 350 sites, with more than 6000 motifs. The big island of New Caledonia is the island in the South West Pacific with the greatest number of carvings. The motifs are rather abstract, and sometimes styles are specific to certain sites. There is no instruction book or dictionary available to interpret them. Could they be like earth tattoos, to help remember family lines, important events, or social grades of certain tribes? Or maybe maps to define the separations between regions? These carvings are an extraordinary richness, hidden in the bushes, behind trees, in the hills all around New Caledonia, a gift from the past.

While living in the central area of NC, I discovered the incredible petroglyphes in the Montfaoué area. Overwhelmed by their beauty and mystery, I was inspired to make these silver pendants.