Considering Geographically Limited Elements Within the Pecos River Style
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ROCK ART BOUNDARIES: CONSIDERING GEOGRAPHICALLY LIMITED ELEMENTS WITHIN THE PECOS RIVER STYLE A Thesis by JAMES BURR HARRISON III Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology ROCK ART BOUNDARIES: CONSIDERING GEOGRAPHICALLY LIMITED ELEMENTS WITHIN THE PECOS RIVER STYLE A Thesis by JAMES BURR HARRISON III Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved as to style and content by: ____________________________ ____________________________ Carolyn Boyd David Carlson (Co-Chair of Committee) (Co-Chair of Committee) ____________________________ ____________________________ Michael Alvard F. Kent Reilly III (Member) (Member) ____________________________ ____________________________ Marvin Rowe David Carlson (Member) (Head of Department) May 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology iii ABSTRACT Rock Art Boundaries: Considering Geographically Limited Elements within the Pecos River Style. (May 2004) James Burr Harrison III, B.A., Texas State University-San Marcos Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Carolyn Boyd Dr. David Carlson This thesis examines six prominent Pecos River Style rock art anthropomorph attributes to determine if they are found in limited geographic districts of the Lower Pecos Region. Both Boyd (2003) and Turpin (2004) have suggested that spatially-segregated motif distributions exist in the rock art and that these patterns are important in understanding regional prehistoric hunter- gatherer lifeways during the Archaic Period. This study verifies that the feather hip cluster motif is geographically limited, identified only in the neighboring Seminole and Painted Canyon systems. As part of this spatial analysis, the previously undocumented principle of intersite stylistic traditions is introduced. Possible explanations for these anthropomorph attributes are also discussed. Finally, structural analyses of the six attributes are presented. iv Dedicated to my parents, Jim and Bea Harrison v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to these organizations and institutions. Each was critical to the success of this research: The Rock Art Foundation Inc., The Clements Foundation, The Texas Archaeological Society, The Texas Historical Commission, The Shumla School, The Nature Conservancy, Seminole Canyon State Park, Devils River State Natural Area, and TARL. I would especially like to thank Lauren Benz, who accompanied me on this project; you are my confidant, partner, and most thoughful critic. To the members of my original San Marcos archaeology milieu: Chet Walker, Clay Schultz, and Shawn Marceaux, and to our collective mentor Dr. Reilly. The pushers of iconography. You are creating the path. I would also like to extend my gratitude to these individuals, listed in alphabetical order. Each contributed something very significant to the Pecos River Style Iconography Project or to this thesis. Your generosity will not be forgotten: Bill Armstrong, Emmit “Pancho” Brotherton, Paul and Anne Briggs, Terry and Kathleen Burgess, Robert Corbin, Dr. Phil Dering, Jim Finnegan, Tommy Grey, Hubert Gubbels, Jim Bob Hargrove, Jack and Missy Harrington, Jerome Hesse, Howard Hunt, Roy Hurley, John and Judy Krevling, Lonnie Lischka, Ken Moore, Steve Norman, Elton Prewitt, Clyde Pursley, Rick Rylander, Rod Sanders, Jack Skyles, Dr. Solveig Turpin, Paul Weinman, and Cody White. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ...................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................ ix LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................. xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 1 The Anthropomorph Attributes under Study ................. 2 Geographically Limited Elements .................................... 5 Ethnographically Viable Possibilites for Such Motifs ... 6 The Pecos River Style .......................................................... 8 Spatial Circumscription in Baja Gran Mural Rock Art .. 13 Ethnographic Analogies ..................................................... 14 II LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................ 17 Forest Kirkland .................................................................... 17 A. T. Jackson ......................................................................... 17 T. N. Campbell ..................................................................... 18 Terrence Grieder .................................................................. 19 W. W. Newcomb Jr. ............................................................. 20 David Gebhard ..................................................................... 22 Solveig Turpin ..................................................................... 24 Marvin Rowe ........................................................................ 27 Patricia Bass .......................................................................... 27 Terry Sayther ........................................................................ 28 Carolyn Boyd ....................................................................... 29 vii CHAPTER Page III METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 32 Iconographic Structural Analysis ...................................... 33 Sample Acquisition ............................................................. 35 Equipment ............................................................................ 37 Pecos River Style Typologies ............................................ 37 Core Motifs ........................................................................... 37 Field Techniques ................................................................. 40 IV RESULTS OF THE SPATIAL ANALYSIS ........................... 41 Plume Head Form ............................................................... 44 U Head Form ........................................................................ 51 Rabbit-ears ............................................................................ 61 Feather Hip Cluster ............................................................. 68 Antlers Head Form .............................................................. 73 Ecstatic-scalp ........................................................................ 80 Statistical Analysis .............................................................. 86 V DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ................................... 89 Territoriality, Ethnicity, Landscape and Group Affiliation .............................................................................. 90 Markers of Individual Artists ............................................ 94 Temporal Markers ............................................................... 95 Anthropomorphic Characters in Art ................................. 96 Intersite Stylistic Traditions ............................................... 99 Plume Head Form ............................................................... 104 U Head Form ........................................................................ 105 Anthropomorphic Character A .......................................... 110 U Symbol ............................................................................... 111 Rabbit-ears ............................................................................ 112 Feather Hip Cluster ............................................................. 113 Antlers Head Form .............................................................. 114 Impaled Dot Symbol Complex .......................................... 115 Anthropomorphic Character B .......................................... 117 Ecstatic-scalp ........................................................................ 119 viii Page Other Possible Geographiclly Limited Elements ........... 121 Limitations of this Study and Suggestions for Future Research ............................................................. 123 Conclusions .......................................................................... 123 REFERENCES CITED ......................................................................... 125 APPENDIX A PECOS RIVER STYLE ICONOGRAPHY PROJECT FORMS ..................................................... 138 VITA ...................................................................................................... 143 ix LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1.1 The Anthropomorph Attributes under Study .................... 4 1.2 Big Satan Canyon: Right Panel ............................................. 11 4.1 Spatial Distribution of All Recorded Sites......................... 43 4.2 Plumes ..................................................................................... 48 4.3 Spatial Distribution of Plumes ............................................ 50 4.4 U Head Forms ........................................................................ 57 4.5 Spatial Distribution of U Head Forms................................ 60 4.6 Rabbit-ears .............................................................................