An Indication of Hunting Activities from Southern Nevada rock art

Summary

Rock art hunting scenes are often ascribed as hunting magic or as part of a shamanistic ritual in which the rock art panel portrays the desired outcome of a hunt. However, it can be argued that there are petroglyph panels that depict what was actually occurring at a site. 26CK383 is a prehistoric site in Southern Nevada with numerous rock art panels, including one panel that shows two anthropomorphs directing desert bighorn sheep into what appears to be a corral. This could be a representation of activity that was occurring at the site, as 26CK383 is located just below a natural rock formation that could have been used as an animal drive. A review of the sites located near 26CK383 suggests the area was used for hunting and lithic procurement, with temporary campsites. This site will be compared to rock art sites with similar motifs associated with animal drives to support the theory that the petroglyph panel at 26CK383 represents hunting activities at the site.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage