Book Description
This is the first specifically designed key to the interpretation of American rock art. Interest in the subject has grown significantly among professional archaeologists and informed lay persons in recent years, but the purpose and meaning that the intriguing symbols had for their creators remain a mystery. Although the significance of the symbols will never be known for certain, educated guesses can be made. The "Field Guide" brings together 600 commentaries on specific symbols by over one hundred archaeologists, anthropologists, researchers, and Native American informants. Intended to be used in the field, as well as a reference, the book includes a pictorial key at the beginning and is organized by tentative meaning or by description. The reader can easily find the one or several of the 500 illustrations that most closely match the symbol in question. Patterson emphasizes the tentative nature of the interpretations and has included an index by neutral archaeological description as well as complete documentation of every excerpted comment. The range of the book is from the northern states of Mexico to Utah and from California to Colorado.
Customer Reviews:
A concordance of rock art.......2007-02-20
My instinct was to refer to this as a dictionary of rock art symbols, but that's not quite right--The book isn't quite that precise. The book lists a number of categories of rock art symbols, with postage-stamp sized illustrations, and brief passages, mostly cited from other authors, explaining what that author thought might be the importance or meaning of that symbol. There is a very brief list (perhaps three pages) of the most important rock art sites, with EXTREMELY cryptic directions ("Exit at I-40, ask for directions at park visitor center", for example). As a result, this book will help you before a visit by preparing you for what sort of things you might see and what they meant, and it will help you afterwards, in figuring out what you saw, but it won't help you plan the visit or be a guide during the visit.
Worthwhile if you really want to try to understand what you are seeing at these sites, but not one-book coverage of the subject--And probably more than you want to know if a single book on rock art is all you want.
Phenomenal book.......2007-01-02
This field guide is a must for Rock Art enthusiasts! You can take this book with you on your hunts or simply photograph your rock art and then take home to research the meanings in this book. It doesn't matter where you are in the Southwest, this book will explain any pictographs or petroglyphs you find. It is filled with photos, drawings and explanations which are simple and precise to decipher.
Whether you are a beginner or a true artifact hunter, this book is for you!
A Great Resource with some flaws.......2003-11-07
Patterson's created one of the best resources available on ancient rock art. As a means of understanding ancient rock art in North America the book probably occupies an unchallenged place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in these 'artifacts'. Unfortunately, as a field guide the book has some serious organizational snags. The specific types of subject matter are arranged in ways to cause a person in a field setting to create some rock-art of his own with his fingernails. Even though my copy of this book is tattered through long use I continue to have difficulties relocating what I'm searching for in the text. I usually carry a simpler and better organized field guide for quick and dirty work and leave the Patterson book for a time when I'm sitting on a rock somewhere catching my breath after the fact.
All this said, I believe this book is a great one and I'd recommend it for home study. There's not a better one available.
Awesome Pictures.......2001-08-16
I needed an excellent source book for primitive petroglyphs for some art work. This book proved to be an excellent resource
Life on the rocks.......2000-05-18
Work done by others is always fascinating, which is why national parks featuring ancient ruins are so popular; they showcase the incredible and often very beautiful work done in the Southwest before Europeans arrived.
It takes a lot of work and skill to create a petroglyph. I know, I've tried it. A full day's work produces only a small image. First, find a hard river stone with a pointy end; then, spend hours using it to chip away enough desert varnish and surface rock to make a shallow indent on a large boulder or cliff face. When you finish, since rocks don't rot or grow back, the design will last thousands of years.
Rock art wasn't doodles or graffiti, churned out in a trivial moment or so; it is serious statements of faith that Native Americans took days or weeks to produce. The original meanings may never be recovered, which is a great loss; but, the artistry can still be appreciated. Patterson's sketches are clear, concise and free of unrelated static. Since petroglyphs are the originals of modern Native American art, this is also a guide for artists, historians and poets of the Southwest.
It is a bilingual dictionary, everything from "arrow" and "atlatl" to "X-ray styles." In Spanish, it helps to know "Alto" means "Stop;" in the petroglyph language, it helps to know what sign means "Sun." Patterson offers educated insights into 600 common petroglyphs. People today link certain symbols to ideas, such as an "apple" as a gift for a teacher, a still life art object, a kind of pie, or a computer. In all likelihood, every petroglyph had as many or more meanings -- depending on the story teller.
Consider Patterson's description of the sun sign, which is still a popular design for silver jewelry from the Pueblos: ". . . the outer circle represents the ring of light around the Sun, the second represents the sun itself, and the inner circle or dot, his umbilicus, which opens to provide mankind with game and other sustenance." Next, think of modern artists who see the sun and paint a yellow circle, while others paint a yellow circle and create a sun. Now, the petroglyph sun sign takes on new meaning.
Art expresses a sense of adventure. A thousand years ago, petroglyphs were patiently chipped into boulders and cliffs to create a permanent memory of unique and special events. They portray a dramatic history of gods, demons, giants, tricksters and rare events as powerful and devious and clever as any Nordic saga. They also offer maps to the beginning of creation and pathways to a fulfilled life. Petroglyphs are a record of the exploration, knowledge and interpretation of America long before its "discovery" by Europeans. It reminds us that we have much yet to understand; it may not be the "Rosetta stone" of the Southwest, but it is one of the texts.
This is a masterful guide, sensibly devoid of guesswork and idle speculation (that's my field). Every society invents, discovers, experiments and creates to explain its origins and values. Patterson classifies common themes that were important enough to be written on rock. Rock art is one of our cultural treasures. If you want a book of facts about it, this is where to start.
Average customer rating:
- Scholarly, in-depth scrutiny and hypothesis
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Great Basin Rock Art: Archaeological Perspectives
Manufacturer: University of Nevada Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Prehistoric & Primitive
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ASIN: 0874176964 |
Book Description
Rock art is one of humankind's most ancient forms of artistic expression, and one of its most enigmatic. For centuries, scholars and other observers have struggled to interpret the meaning of the mysterious figures incised or painted on natural rocks and to understand their role in the lives of their long-vanished creators. The Great Basin of the American West is especially rich in rock art, but until recently North American archaeologists have largely ignored these most visible monuments left by early Native Americans and have given little attention to the terrain surrounding them.
In Great Basin Rock Art, twelve respected rock art researchers examine a number of significant sites from the dual perspectives of settlement archaeology and contemporary Native American interpretations of the role of rock art in their cultural past. The authors demonstrate how modern archaeological methodology and interpretations are providing a rich physical and cultural context for these ancient and hitherto puzzling artifacts. They offer exciting new insights into the lives of North America's first inhabitants. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the petroglyphs of the American West and in the history of the Great Basin and its original peoples.
Customer Reviews:
Scholarly, in-depth scrutiny and hypothesis .......2007-04-12
Edited by Angus R. Quinlan, Ph.D. (deputy director of the Nevada Rock Art Foundation), Great Basin Rock Art: Archaeological Perspectives is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning some of the most ancient cultural and artistic relics known to humankind. Topics include petroglyph dating, native and anthropological interpretations of cultural identity, a gender-inclusive view of the social context of rock art, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs and diagrams illustrate this scholarly, in-depth scrutiny and hypothesis of what rock art has to tell us of prehistoric culture.
Book Description
Two hundred color photographs by David Muench show rock paintings and petroglyphs in the arid regions of western North America, extending from Baja California north to Washington and from Wyoming west to California. Most of the locations are remote; many are secret. The photographs are organized into ten geographically-based styles: Great Basin and Mohave Desert, Green River, Colorado River, Little Colorado River, San Juan River, Gila River, Rio Grande, Columbia River, Chumash and Anza Borrego, and Baja California. Anthropologist Polly Schaafsma describes the cultural and physical context of each of these stylistic traditions, which range in age from six thousand years ago to the historic era.
Book Description
A book about the rock art found on the canyon walls of the Coso Range, about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The art is more than 3,000 years old and was made by Native Americans who lived and hunted in the area at the time.
Average customer rating:
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The Rock-Art of Eastern North America: Capturing Images and Insight
Manufacturer: University Alabama Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Missouri
ASIN: 0817350969 |
Average customer rating:
- Ambitious book is a big disappointment
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Rock Art in New Mexico
Polly Schaafsma ,
Karl Kernberger , and
Curtis F. Schaafsma
Manufacturer: Museum of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Prehistoric & Primitive
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Images in Stone: Southwest Rock Art
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Indian Rock Art of the Southwest
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A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest
ASIN: 0890132321 |
Customer Reviews:
Ambitious book is a big disappointment.......2004-01-29
First let me say that I am reviewing this as a person who likes to visit rock art sites and thus bought this book to help me in a trip to New Mexico. In that regard it failed miserably. Many archeologists feel the need to protect rock art sites from us "tourists" and probably think we should be confined to the national parks and monuments. While I acknowledge that there are some jerks out there who do not respect these ancient sites, if you are going to take the time (and my money) to write a book on New Mexico rock art, wouldn't it be logical that you would want others to appreciate it as well? Apparently not. To be fair, this book is more like a textbook and may be useful to someone in a graduate class doing a paper on Rock Art. It is a large format book althouth it is not hardcover. It has numerous black and white photographs which will entice the reader to want to learn more but the vaque descriptions and overly technical writing, will ultimately result in disappointment. Perhaps Mrs. Schaafsma should read books by Grant Noble and Dennis Slifer to get a better idea on how to write for the masses. Until then, I would recommend finding a good web-site on New Mexico art versus buying this book.
Book Description
From Texas to the caves of Santa Barbara, the wealth and diversity of Indian rock paintings and carvings astonish us with their beauty, mystery, and spirituality. This new softbound edition presents a broad range of intriguing work spanning more than 4,000 years.
Customer Reviews:
THE definitive book on Canyon de Chelly.......2007-01-10
Of all the books I have seen on Canyon de Chelly, this is hands-down the best. Far from being a compact travel guide, it is a full-sized paperback textbook. (It was so informative, I stuffed it into my suitcase for my visit to Canyon de Chelly). The book gives a detailed overview of all aspects of the canyon, from geologic formation to prehistoric canyon dwellers and then proceeds into the present. Major historic events are covered too. Lots of intricate pen-and-ink illustrations as well as photographs. It's an academic piece of literature, but I do not want to scare off potential readers, because it is also a riveting and fun read!
Average customer rating:
- Inspiring story
- With the latest up-to-date findings
- Absolutely Wonderful!
- Interesting new research......
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Rock Art of the Lower Pecos
Carolyn E. Boyd
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Rock Art of Texas Indians
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A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest
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Return to Chauvet Cave
ASIN: 1585442593 |
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring story.......2005-01-28
I worked in the Lower Pecos region with a group of students last summer, and had the honor of meeting Carolyn Boyd. She took time to give our students personal guided tours of the cave paintings, and they were enthralled. She is a gifted communicator, and passionate about her work. These same qualities come through in her book.
The first time she saw these paintings, she was an artist with no experience in archaeology. Her art background allowed her to see what others had missed; the myriad elements were part of a single canvas, composed by a single artist, invested with purpose and meaning. At that moment she held insights the 'experts' lacked, but she did not have the credibility or credentials to convince anyone. Rather than giving up, she went back to school and got her PhD in Anthropology, writing her Doctoral Dissertation on this cave art. She is now recognized as the world's formost expert on these paintings.
With the latest up-to-date findings.......2004-01-09
Rock Art Of The Lower Pecos by Carolyn E. Boyd (Executive Director of the archaeological research and educational nonprofit Shumla School) offers an expert and in-depth analysis of the rock art created four thousand years ago in what is now southwest Texas and northern Mexico. New interpretations and hypothesis concerning these mysterious yet evocative images left behind by hunter-gatherers of millennia ago fill the pages of this fascinating guide, which packed from cover to cover with the latest up-to-date findings, as well as an anthropological wealth of insightful ideas from a wide variety of experts and schools of thought concerning the uses of the art and the intentions of the ancient artists. Black-and-white as well as full color illustrations embellish this thoughtful and strongly recommended study.
Absolutely Wonderful!.......2003-12-11
Carolyn Boyd has done an outstanding job with Rock Art of the Lower Pecos! This excellent literary work clearly explains the rock art through extensive ethnographic research and analysis. Her contribution of this book is a landmark acheivment in the field of anthropology. I highly recommend this work to anyone with an interest in historic art or culture.
Interesting new research.............2003-11-26
This author takes research on rock art and makes it concise and understandable for all of us who are interested in rock art in the Americas. But more than that, she takes us to the next level and gives us a basis for understanding WHY the images were produced in the first place and what function they served for the culture. This is must reading for anyone who wants to understand these images and who wants to go to the next level in understanding rock art world wide.
Books:
- A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide (Tim Grey Guides)
- Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings (Alfred Stieglitz)
- American Government: Continuity and Change, 2006 Edition (Paperbound) (8th Edition)
- At Home in Mitford/A Light in the Window/These High, Green Hills/Out to Canaan/A New Song/A Common Life (The Mitford Years 1-6)
- Atomic Ranch
- Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, Broadcast, and Entertainment
- Baby Scrapbooks: Ideas, Tips, and Techniques for Baby Scrapbooks (Memory Makers)
- Bangalore Tiger
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Rock-Art of the Southwest: A Visitor's Companion
Easy Field Guide to Southwestern Petroglyphs (Easy Field Guides)
Easy Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Symbols (Easy Field Guides) (Easy Field Guides)
Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: An Archaeological Guide (Arizona and the Southwest)
