Phosphene Lexicon

Some qualified speculation about a Phosphene Lexicon....

"But what turned out to be truly amazing," said Cardenas-Arroyo, "was that many of the patterns made by the Tukanos were nearly identical to the phosphene patterns described 40 years earlier by Knoll." Moreover, he showed how phosphene-inspired patterns used in contemporary indigenous cultures are very similar to designs on ancient pottery.

"I believe that many of these design patterns were like an unspoken language that held symbolic meaning through their iconography, which transcended linguistic and cultural barriers," he said.

"Archaeologists should make a greater effort to decode the symbolism beyond the art."

- Felipe Cardenas-Arroyo
Columbian Archaeologist

http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/Archive/stories/1998/eng/e998k.htm