Petroglyphs, Petroforms and Pictographs The potent rock art of Nevada Nevada may be famed for Las Vegas, but its petroglyphs hit the archaeological jack-pot and need protecting. Rock art specialist Paul Bahn reports.
he world of rock art is one of and ‘entoptic motifs’ - akin to the odd visual archaeology’s most thriving and effects often experienced during migraines. dynamic areas, yet it has lost Having completed her doctorate on Nevadan many of its foremost scholars in rock art in 2000, the indefatigable Alanah recent years. A particularly sad founded the Nevada Rock Art Foundation in 2002. Tand unexpected loss was, for me, the death Within a few short years, her Foundation had of Alanah Woody, aged only 51, in July 2007. become arguably the most dynamic and active Alanah was one of the principal American body of its kind in that country, and perhaps voices of reason in a field that had been even anywhere in the world. She established a swamped by the fad of interpreting all rock prestigious committee, with Prof. Don Fowler art motifs in terms of ‘trance’, ‘shamans’ as President, and an ever-growing membership of willing and enthusiastic volunteers. Her foundation was pre-eminent in its mission of recording and preserving the rock art, as well as educating the young about its importance.
Visiting Nevada‘s rock art So it was that Alanah invited me to come out to give some talks, see some Nevadan rock art, and meet the Foundation’s members in October 2007. My trip went ahead, just as
Paul Bahn Paul Alanah had organised it, but with her husband, right A petroglyph of a cowboy, from Sloan Angus Quinlan, who stepped into the breach
photos: photos: Canyon, near Las Vegas. as the Foundation’s new Executive Director.
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left image of apparently non-figurative petroglyphs, showing strings of triangles or a series of dots; from Brownstone Canyon, near Las Vegas.
He ensured that it all ran smoothly, with the as Brownstone Canyon, just outside Las Vegas invaluable help of many of the Foundation’s and in Salt Cave, near Reno. As elsewhere, it members who kindly took me out to some of is extremely hard to date any of this open-air the major sites and shared their insights and art, although attempts have begun to be made, expertise with me. using organic material trapped in rock patinas - I had already seen a little of Nevada’s rock but these methods are still highly experimental art in 1990, in the Valley of Fire just east of and tentative. Las Vegas. Most of the state’s art comprises petroglyphs – images pecked or carved into the rock, and the vast majority of these are apparently non-figurative (at least to the eyes ... motifs seem to include of our culture). However, there are also some recognisably figurative motifs, including a few cowboys with hands in examples of what seem to be cowboys with pockets or on hips! hands in pockets or on hips! There are also some painted motifs (pictographs) in sites such www.world-archaeology.com 43 Right Pictographs from Most motifs comprise geometric shapes, of Nevada’s art: from Brownstone Canyon, near which there is a vast variety, but among the pecking to doctoring Las Vegas. specialities of the region one should mention Another especially interesting phenomenon, contiguous triangles arranged in vertical lines, which involves a modern use of petroglyph and also arrangements of dots in massed rows, boulders, is to be found at the Schurz site, near inside grids or between parallel lines. Reno, where a couple of large rocks, bearing old One particularly noteworthy composition, pecked geometric motifs, are known as ‘Doctor however, is a very different kind of rock art: it Rocks’. People come to these boulders to seek is a petroform, made by placing rocks in such a cures, or to give thanks for them, or both. Offer- way as to produce a three-dimensional figure. In ings abound, both on and around them, mostly Sloan Canyon, these rocks overhang the canyon in the form of coins. One rock in the region edge and bear a very striking resemblance to is even said to be specifically helpful to those two huge turtles or tortoises. Close examina- suffering from headaches! tion confirms that these cannot possibly be Two spectacularly rich collections of pecked natural, and were indeed carefully constructed petroglyphs are to be seen in Sloan Canyon, near for maximum visual effect from below. Las Vegas, and at Lagomarsino, near Reno. At both sites, the figures occur on innumerable rock faces and boulders, scattered along the canyons and up the hillsides - there are more than a thousand decorated boulders at Lagomarsino
...there are some ugly scars where figures
right Petroforms of have been hacked off. turtles or tortoises in Sloan Canyon, near Las Vegas.
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Top left Petroglyphs from Sloan Canyon, near Las Vegas.
top right The problem of theft! we see a successful theft from Sloan Canyon, near Las Vegas.
bottom left The 'Doctor Rocks’ with their offerings, including coins, at the Schurz site, near Reno.
bottom right An aborted theft of a sheep petroglyph from Lagomarsino, near Reno.
alone. The rock art at these major sites, as well as panel descriptions and site forms. Yet, so far, that found all around both cities, is under grave most work has inevitably focused on sites that threat because construction is constantly and have been, or are likely to be, affected by public rapidly expanding towards the canyons, despite visitation, especially those close to jeep trails. the region’s severe problems of water supply. Local residents are encouraged to keep an eye open for suspicious activities and, through an Urgent protection needed ‘adopt-a-boulder’ programme, extra funds are This is one reason why it is a matter of urgency raised for conservation. Plans are afoot to have that the art should be recorded as fully as possible, some major sites designated as National Historic and protected from vandalism - in places one can Landmarks, which will likewise help to raise already see attempts to cut petroglyphs out of funding for recording and protection. some rocks, and there are some ugly scars where Clearly, Nevada’s splendid heritage is under figures have been hacked off. In fact, in 2003 threat, and Alanah’s Foundation is its greatest some entire petroglyph boulders were stolen hope of survival, as well as her greatest achieve- from Peavine Canyon. In the subsequent and ment and legacy. For further information or to already infamous court case, Alanah testified on get involved, visit www.nevadarockart.org wa the side of the prosecution and Nevada’s tribes, while some prominent rock art specialists from SOURCE outside the state accepted a large amount of Paul Bahn is a leading specialist in prehistoric art, notably from the money to testify on behalf of the thieves! Palaeolithic, and in the archaeology of Easter Island. His numerous books include Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice (with Colin The members of Alanah’s Foundation Renfrew, 5th ed. 2008), the riotous Bluffer’s Guide to Archaeology continue to be actively involved in the mapping, (4th ed.. 2007), and The Cambridge Illustrated History of Prehistoric drawing and photographing rock art - often in Art (1998). sweltering temperatures - and produce detailed www.world-archaeology.com 45