Landscape of the spirits : Hohokam rock art at South Mountain Park / text by Todd W. Bostwick ; photographs by Peter Krocek ; illustrations by Todd W. Bostwick and Peter Krocek.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bostwick, Todd W.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Indians of North America.

Antiquities.

Petroglyphs.

Arizona--Phoenix.

Hohokam culture.

Petroglyphs--Arizona--Phoenix.

Phoenix (Ariz.)--Antiquities.

Phoenix (Ariz.).

Indians of North America--Arizona--Phoenix--Antiquities.

Local Subjects:

Hohokam culture.

Physical Description:

xxv, 252 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Tucson, AZ : Univ. of Arizona Press, [2002]

Summary:

High Above the noise and traffic of metropolitan Phoenix, Native American rock art offers mute testimony that another civilization once thrived in the Arizona desert. In the city's South Mountains, prehispanic peoples pecked thousands of images into the mountains' boulders and outcroppings -- images that today's hikers can encounter with every bend in the trail. Landscape of the Spirits is the first book to cover these ancient images and is one of the most comprehensive treatments of a rock art location ever published. It conveys the range of different rock art elements and compositions found in the South Mountains -- animals, humans, and geometric shapes, as well as celestial and calendrical markings at key sites -- through accurate descriptions, drawings, and photographs. Interpretations of the petroglyphs are based on Native American ethnographic accounts and consider the most recent theories concerning shamanism and archaeoastronomy. Written in a simple and accessible style, Landscape of the Spirits is an indispensable volume for anyone exploring the South Mountains, and for rock art enthusiasts everywhere who wish to broaden their understanding of the prehistoric world.

Contents:

1. Learning the Landscape 1

2. Investigating Ancient Art in the Sonoran Desert 16

3. Dating Rock Art in the South Mountains 29

4. Small Critters: Insects and Other Arthropods 42

5. Creatures of the Underworld: Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish 47

6. Our Four-Legged Brothers: Mammals 66

7. Friends of the Upper World: Birds 88

8. Humans and Spirit Beings: Anthropomorphs 103

9. Abstract Mysteries: Geometric Designs 144

10. Saluting the Sun: A Hohokam Calendar 173

11. Dreams, Memories, and Signs: A Summary of South Mountains Rock Art 204.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0816521840

0816521832

OCLC:

52769717