Biographic Rock Art on the Southern Plains and Politics through Equestrian Imagery

Author(s): Jenny Ni

Year: 2025

Summary

This is an abstract from the "What’s Going on in Texas? Current Topics in Texas Archaeology" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

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Plains Biographic Tradition rock art, through recording the military exploits of Plains warriors and associated historical events, was an important method of earning prestige and political influence in Plains cultures. As it developed alongside the increasing integration of equine pastoralism, the Plains Biographic Tradition offers an opportunity to consider the impact of the horse on the political practices of Plains peoples. In this paper, I offer preliminary analysis on Biographic rock art imagery in the context of the political practices of Southern Plains equestrian peoples, tracking developments through the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries. I focus on the impacts of Southern Plains equine pastoralism, especially increased mobility, on how politics were conducted as represented by visual culture.

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Cite this Record

Biographic Rock Art on the Southern Plains and Politics through Equestrian Imagery. Jenny Ni. Presented at The 90th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2025 ( tDAR id: 510273)

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52881