but as distinct as they are, all symbols are used for the same purpose -- to communica, manipulate, and preserve information. the circle of coral symbolizes the night sky. but this lesson depends on the use of language, a symbolic system in which arbitrary sounds are joined together and given meaning. of all symbolic systems, language best communicates very complex ideas. here, celestial navigation is taught on a south pacific island. we begin to learn language and other symbolic systems at birth. in time, they become a part of who we are and how we perceive the world. still, it's difficult for those of us in one culture to fully understand the symbolic systems of another. for archaeologists, the task is even more complex. the cultures they study can no longer be directly observed. archaeologist david webster. webster: suppose i came into this stadium a week, or even a century, after all the people left. how would i figure out what happened here ? what this arena was used for ? this is the dilemma facing archaeologists. symbols are of fundamental importance in understanding any human cu