ROCK-ART archives -- August 1998 (#37)<br>
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http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9808&L=rock-art&D=1&P=3776<br>
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Date:         Sun, 9 Aug 1998 13:56:53 -0400<br>
Reply-To:     Rock Art Discussion and Information <[log in to unmask]><br>
Sender:       Rock Art Discussion and Information <[log in to unmask]><br>
From:         Reinaldo Morales Jr <[log in to unmask]><br>
Subject:      Re: Grand Canyon Polychrome<br>
In-Reply-To:  <v03130303b1f3726effec@[169.207.139.123]><br>
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In response to John Greer, and John Campbell, I should probably take a few minutes to share a little of my summer research with the list, as promised. A crazy little thing called Thesis, has kept me kind of quiet lately. On 9 August, John Campbell wrote: >> As a late reply to Dito Morales's quiry and John Greer's request to share this with the Listserv... The following is offered...The "KIVA", Volume 55, Number 3, pp213 through pp234... Has a great article titled "SHAMANS' GALLERY: A GRAND CANYON ROCK ART SITE" by Polly Schaafsma.<< <br>
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This excelent analysis details the work she and her research team carried out in September 1987, and delivered to the Grand Canyon National Park Resource Management and Planning Division. They recorded the site, after it was brought to the attention of the NPS, by Gordon Smith, a local cowboy. <br>
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>> It has a wonderful discussion regarding this site (also known as NPS Site AZB:9:201) along with a selection of Polly's incredible drawings which separate out nicely the images from the various layers (Polly's mostly known for her outstanding scholarly work regarding, primarily, rock art of the greater Southwest, but she's also an exceptionally gifted artist).<< <br>
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"Gifted artist" indeed! It took her three days to complete the drawings, which doesn't seem like much, once the amazing concentration of paintings is considered. This is a panel that photos alone could never hope to fully capture. It appears that in some areas, the overpainting is several layers thick. There are over 40 anthropomorphs in an area of about 7' x 60'. Many of these are at least 6' tall, and there is an amazing variety of pigmentation. In addition to the maroon, red, orange, white, and black, there are yellows and greens, like I've never seen before (although, I'm admitedly something of a green horn at this). <br>
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One area has a group of elements, highly abstract, or stylized, including what appear to be two green suns. The greens here, are almost lime! Schaafsma speculated that some malachite, found locally by Gordon Smith and Jerry Jerman, might have been the source of the pigment. <br>
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John Campbell: <br>
>> In addition to the text, drawings, and photos... there's an excellent bibliogrphy. I believe that the original 70 inch mylar drawings produced from this study now reside with the National Park Service...<< <br>
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All materials are held by the GRCA Archaeology department, and not available without research permission. This is a class III site, and these precautions are well waranted. <br>
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Apart from the 1926 report (with one drawing) by Neil M. Judd ("Archaeological Observations North of the Rio Colorado" Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 82, Wash. DC), the only other publications I've found are the following, by Mary K. Allen: "Grand Canyon Polychrome Pictographs." In Utah Rock Art, Volume 8, edited by Bonnie Morris, 1-16. Salt Lake City: Utah Rock Art Research Association, 1991. <br>
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"New Frontiers in Rock Art: The Grand Canyon." In American Indian Rock Art, Volume 15, edited by Kay K. Sanger, 49-70. San Miguel: American Rock Art Research Association, 1992. "Grand Canyon Pictographs: Comments on the Grand Canyon Polychrome Style." In Rock Art Papers, Volume 11. San Diego Museum Papers No. 31, edited by Ken Hedges, 95-105. San Diego: San Diego Museum of Man, 1994. <br>
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As I understand, Allen delivered a paper to the URARA last year. This has yet to be published. As of her last publication, she has found possibly 15 total GCP sites. Schaafsma believes these could represent a western variant of the Barrier Canyon Anthropomorphic (BCA) style. The similarities are indeed apparent in the Shamans' Gallery (referred to by Allen as Spirit Shelter.) From photographs I've seen of other sites, there does seem to be a unified aesthetic at work, characterized by the elongated anthropomorphic figure type. <br>
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Some of these have been contested by local archaeologists. The elongated anthropomorphs, hallmark of Barrier Canyon and Pecos River style sites, are not present in a few of the sites Allen reports. These are extremely difficult to access, and in extremely fragile condition. There are also serious considerations expressed by Native American groups. With this in mind, it is best that these sites receive as few visits as possible. The above mentioned publications should satisfy most curiosity.<br>
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Between Schaafsma's detailed report, Allen's pub's, and my own research, a good argument can be made in support of Schaafsma's conclusion that "within a broad areal framework," the Grand Canyon Polychrome Style "falls within the general definition of the Barrier Canyon [Anthropomorphic] Style." (1990:225) <br>
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I think the Pecos River art should be considered further evidence of a Western Archaic aesthetic, operant in the Rio Grande and Colorado River areas. <br>
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I see there are a couple more posts popping up, so I'll send this, and continue later. <br>
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Dito Morales <br>
MA Candidate, Art History <br>
Virginia Commonwealth University <br>
Richmond, Virginia USA <br>
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