Enculturating environments: rock art and the archaeology of interior south-central California

Abstract

The disarticulation of rock art from the archaeological record and its changing environment remains a primary obstacle facing many rock art researchers across the globe, but particularly in the American Far West, and California specifically (Robinson & Sturt 2009). A schism, so to speak, exists between the archaeological record and rock art as well as 'dirt' archaeologists and rock art specialists. This is because, in California, and particularly in the rock art rich area of south-central California, rock art research has not focused on investigating archaeological deposits associated with rock art, but delved into ethnographic accounts gathered in colonial and post-colonial times and/or focused upon the images themselves. Equally most 'dirt' archaeology in the region has concentrated either on coastal plain or lacustrine areas, where rock art is scarce. The Enculturating Environments Project broadens the investigation of the rock art of the American Far West by undertaking a combined landscape and geoarchaeological approach to rock art with its associated archaeological and environmental record. Additionally, this project works within interior regions where scant archaeological research has occurred. In so doing, we are applying a suite of approaches to situate rock art within long term landscape change. Entering its fourth year, this is a sustained investigation of the prehistoric and historic enculturation of the environment of hunter-gatherers seen in rock art, land-use, material culture and social interaction.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Fraser C. Sturt: orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-990X

Catalogue record

Export record