Readings and Links
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Books
Rock Art of the American Southwest, Fred Hirschman and Scott Thybony, 1994
Very fine large-format photography by Fred Hirschman.
A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest, Alex Patterson, 1992
A catalog of rock art symbols with suggestions for interpretation.
Rock Art in New Mexico, Polly Schaafsma, 1992
A well-illustrated over-view of the region by a scholar.
Signs of Life; Rock Art of the Upper Rio Grande, Dennis Slifer, 1998
A practical guidebook to publicly-accessible rock art sites.
Rocks, Landscapes and Rock Paintings, Pekka Kivikäs, 2005
A beautifully illustrated survey of rock art in Finland. All of Finland's rock art consists of red ochre paintings; they are thousands of years older than most of our Southwest examples, but the themes and designs are familiar. My thanks to Hannu and Marjo Riihivaara for this fine gift.
Links
England's' Rock Art (ERA)
Amongst the outcrops and boulders of northern England keen eyes may spot an array of mysterious symbols carved into the rock surfaces. These curious marks vary from simple, circular hollows known as 'cups' to more complex patterns with cups, rings, and intertwining grooves. Many are in spectacular, elevated locations with extensive views but some are also found on monuments such as standing stones and stone circles, or within burial mounds. The carvings were made by Neolithic and Early Bronze Age people between 3500 and 6000 years ago. The original meaning of the symbols is now lost but they provide a unique personal link with our prehistoric ancestors.The ERA site is the finest on line resource anywhere on the subject. It documents a vast project to catalog and preserve the unique rock art of Northern England. The project transparently reveals the discovery process, including GPS coordinates; the approach is to actively involve volunteer groups and the public in preserving a national treasure.
On Rock Walls, Painted Prayers to Rain Gods
A travel article from the NY Times about the pictographs at Hueco Tanks near El Paso, plus a few lines about the Three Rivers petroglyph site north of Alamogordo.
Flickr Rock Art Group
A large catalog of rock art photographs, mostly from the Southwest U.S.
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