Beyond the Stereotype: Working toward a Landscape-Based Model of Study and Cross-Cultural Exchange of Fluteplayer Rock Art Imagery in Chaco Canyon

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Rock Art Documentation, Research, and Analysis" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Fluteplayer is widely recognized within rock art, characterized by a figure holding and/or playing a flute. It has been misinterpreted as the Kachina Kokopelli. As a result it is now entangled with modern, predominantly Western, interpretations of the Kokopelli character, which are subsequently rooted in shamanistic interpretations of fertility. Although this association has been discredited, the ubiquitous interpretation of Fluteplayer imagery as Kokopelli detracts from the true cultural value of individual and unique imagery. This discussion will present current PhD research which aims to address this discourse within the study of Fluteplayer imagery using a landscape-based approach to establish a context and wider sociocultural placement of the image within Chacoan society, working toward a model of cross-cultural and respectful sharing of knowledge with Indigenous people. Research results are already showing diverse contextual placements for Fluteplayer imagery, alongside the comparative analysis of Flute artifacts, illustrating the figure's wider sociocultural placement. With further planned research to conclusively understand the placement of the Fluteplayer within Chacoan society, it will move the image beyond the stereotype, offering a wider discussion about the image, alongside supporting the value of rock art and Indigenous knowledge to the wider academic community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Interdisciplinary Approaches to Rock Art Documentation, Research, and Analysis   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38555.0