Table Of ContentT H
HUNDER AND ERDS
Loendorf’s book on the rock art of the High Plains is a well-informed,
vivid and highly readable presentation of one of the great rock art
regions in the Southwest. One could not agree more with the author’s
opinion that rock art sites are first and foremost archaeological sites and
that ethnographic sources—together with archaeology—provide invalu-
able information on the rock art. This book is a must read both for the
archaeological community and for the interested general public.
—Jean Clottes, former director of prehistoric antiquities for the
Midi-Pyrénées region of France;
internationally acclaimed expert on painted cave art
If you thought the High Plains lacked rocks and thus rock art, you were
wrong. Larry Loendorf’s Thunder and Herdsis the first major synthesis
of an important but previously little known corpus of rock art, and it
changes our understanding of the prehistory of the High Plains. It is
essential reading for all North American archaeologists and rock art
researchers.
David S. Whitley, author of
The Art of the Shaman: Rock Art of California and
Introduction to Rock Art Research,
and editor of The Handbook of Rock Art Research.
T H
HUNDER AND ERDS
Rock Art of the High Plains
Lawrence L. Loendorf
First published 2008 by Left Coast Press, Inc.
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2008 Taylor & Francis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only
for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Loendorf, Lawrence L.
Thunder and herds : rock art of the High Plains / Lawrence L. Loendorf.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59874-152-0 (hardback : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-1-59874-151-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1.Indians of North America—Great Plains—Antiquities. 2. Petroglyphs—Great Plains. 3. Rock
paintings—Great Plains. 4. Picture-writing—Great Plains. 5. Great Plains—Antiquities. I. Title.
E78.G73L64 2008
978'.01—dc22
200802826
ISBN 978-1-59874-152-0 hardcover
ISBN 978-1-59874-151-3 paperback
C
ONTENTS
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LISTOFTABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
PROLOGUE—Thunder and Herds: Rock Art of the High Plains . . . . . . . . . .14
CHAPTER1
Foreground and Background: The Physiography, Rock Art Research
History, and Cultural Chronology of the Central High Plains . . . . . . . . .19
CHAPTER2
Rock Art of the Archaic Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
CHAPTER3
Purgatoire Pecked-I Petroglyphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
CHAPTER4
Purgatoire Pecked-II Petroglyphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
CHAPTER5
Purgatoire Painted Rock Art of the High Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
CHAPTER6
Rock Art of the Protohistoric Period: A.D. 1450–1725 . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
CHAPTER7
Incised and Painted Rock Art of the Historic Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
CHAPTER8
Through a Glass, Darkly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
REFERENCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
L I
IST OF LLUSTRATIONS
P-1 A rock art researcher with “tunnel vision.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
1.1 Map of the Central High Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
1.2 Photograph of a typical High Plains vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
1.3 Overview of Purgatoire (Picket Wire) Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
1.4 A view from the top of one of the many dikes in southeastern Colorado . . . . .24
1.5 Etienne Renaud at site 5PE62 in Turkey Creek, Fort Carson, Colorado . . . . .26
1.6 Anne Whitfield at a site in southeastern Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
1.7 A seriation of sites from the Middle Archaic through the
Diversification Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
2.1 Close-up photograph of exposed Clay Creek petroglyphs in the
Dakota sandstone formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
2.2 The middle section of the Clay Creek petroglyph panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
2.3 A view of 5LA5598, one of the Piñon Canyon boulder sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
2.4 Selected petroglyph boulders from the boulder sites at the Piñon
Canyon Maneuver Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
2.5 Quadruped petroglyphs from the Piñon Canyon boulder sites . . . . . . . . . . . .54
2.6 A pit feature at 5LA5598, one of the Piñon Canyon boulder sites . . . . . . . . . .55
2.7 Petroglyphs on the exposed sandstone surface at Glorieta Mesa . . . . . . . . . . . .58
2.8 One of several excavations to expose buried petroglyphs at Glorieta Mesa . . . .59
2.9 Scale drawings of petroglyphs at sites on Glorieta Mesa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
2.10 Scale drawings of petroglyphs at sites on Glorieta Mesa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
2.11 Abstract petroglyphs from the Hicklin Springs site in
southeastern Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
2.12 Petroglyphs from 5LA9781, a site near the Bent Canyon Stage Stop,
Piñon Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
2.13 Quadruped figure on a basalt boulder at the Hogback Archaic site,
Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
2.14 Vertical figures at the Hogback Archaic site, Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site . . .72
2.15 The recording of one of the petroglyph boulders at the Ancient Hogback
site, Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
2.16 A tracing of the incised figure on Boulder 1 at the Ancient Hogback site . . . .75
2.17 A tracing of the incised figures underlying abstract pecked images . . . . . . . . . .76
3.1 A few of the quadruped figures on a boulder at the Bull Pasture site . . . . . . . .84
3.2 An anthropomorph at the Bull Pasture site holding a hoop toward
a quadruped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
3.3 A portion of the rock art panel at the Zookeeper site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
3.4 A loop-line figure that is connected to several of the quadrupeds at
the Zookeeper site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
3.5 A view of the Point site, located on the prominent sandstone outcrop,
as seen from the Zookeeper site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
3.6 The sandstone slab-wall structures at the Point site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
3.7 The Big Hands Hunter petroglyph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
3.8 One of the bubble-head quadrupeds at the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . . . . . .97
3.9 Quadruped petroglyphs from the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
3.10 Quadruped figures and intersecting spears at the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . .99
3.11 Anthropomorph petroglyph from the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . . . . . . . . .100
3.12 Human footprints at the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
3.13 Quadruped figure with a net-like head at the Big Hands Hunter site . . . . . .102
4.1 An overview of the Red-tail Rockshelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
4.2 Quadrupeds with interlocking horns at the Red-tail Rockshelter . . . . . . . . . .114
4.3 A red-painted anthropomorph at the Red-tail Rockshelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
4.4 A group of quadrupeds at the Red-tail site shown running to and
from a net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
4.5 Quadrupeds caught in a net at the Red-tail site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
4.6 Strike marks on a painted quadruped at the Red-tail site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
4.7 A deep bedrock metate at the base of a petroglyph panel at the
Red-tail site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
4.8 A starburst design painted with yellow pigment on the ceiling of the
Red-tail site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
4.9 The major petroform at site 5LA5555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
4.10 Dancing figures at the Petroform site and similar figures from nearby
site 5LA5549 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
4.11 The petroglyph panel at the Corral site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
4.12 A map showing the relationship of the features at the Corral site . . . . . . . . .128
4.13 Archaeologist Mark Owens with the auger probe at the base of
the Corral site panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
4.14 A single boulder at site 5LA5589 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
4.15 A single boulder in the Purgatoire River bottom, with a hunting
scene on its sides and top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
4.16 A bear and an unidentified companion figure at site 5LA5589 . . . . . . . . . . .133
4.17 A very rare example of a Diversification Period hunter with a bow
at site 5LA296 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
4.18 An anthropomorph at site 5LA5589 whose hand is connected to a
spear embedded in a quadruped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
5.1 The Game Drive site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
5.2 A typical panel of pecked and painted figures at the Game Drive site . . . . . .146
5.3 A painted anthropomorph and quadruped at the Game Drive site . . . . . . . .147
5.4 A contour map of the Game Drive site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
5.5 The loop-line and net-like figures at the outlet of the Game Drive site . . . . .150
5.6 Abstract pictographs above the opening of the Rock Crossing rockshelter . . .153
5.7 The pecked quadruped and a turkey-like bird at the Rock Crossing site . . . .153
5.8 A view of the Bear Dance site showing the rock wall that encloses the
rockshelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
5.9 A plan-view map of the Bear Dance rockshelter site.......................................155
5.10 A scale drawing of the Bear Dance panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
5.11 The dance scene in the Bear Dance panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
5.12 The deer, turkey and parfleche-like design from the Renaud
rockshelter, Turkey Creek, Fort Carson, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
6.1 The Segesser I hide painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
6.2 A contour map of the Sue Site showing the locations of the
excavation units and the main petroglyph panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
6.3 The main petroglyph panel at the Sue site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
6.4 A bison petroglyph at the Sue site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
6.5 A field drawing of a bison at the Sue site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
6.6 Representative bison and deer from the Stone Structure site . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
6.7 A pit structure in the Smith dike that is very similar to features
at the Stone Structure site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
6.8 An anthropomorph at the Smith Dike that appears to represent
a lightning gans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
6.9 A bison with heart line from the Dinetah compared to a similar
bison from southeastern Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
6.10 The turtle-like figure at the Stone Structure site and a sand
painting of a turtle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
6.11 An example of an Apache figure carrying a sinew-backed bow . . . . . . . . . . . .180
6.12 Petroglyphs representative of the Apache anthropomorphs in the region . . . .181
6.13 Gandancers from the Piñon Canyon Hogback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
6.14 Rio Grande–style warriors in profile view carrying bows and hatchets . . . . . .185
6.15 A Rio Grande style figure in bas-relief that may adorn a shield . . . . . . . . . . .186
6.16 The figure of a bison superimposed over an older
Apishapa-age pecked quadruped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
7.1 A stereo photograph of the Purgatoire bear taken by
B. H. Gurnsey about 1889 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
7.2 A large painted bear at the Red Top Ranch, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
7.3 Oversize figures from the Hicklin Springs site in southeastern
Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196
7.4 The transformation scene at Hicklin Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
7.5 Composite illustration showing the anthropomorph at
Picture Canyon that may be suffering from smallpox and the
Battiste Good drawings of smallpox and the Aztec pain symbol . . . . . . . . . .200
7.6 Anthropomorph figure at Picture Canyon surrounded by cupules . . . . . . . . .201
7.7 A drawing of the two-lance figure at Picture Canyon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
7.8 A human figure standing on the back of a horse at the Picture
Canyon site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
7.9 A ribstone at Picture Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
7.10 The abstract pattern in Crack Cave, southeastern Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
7.11 Typical Biographic image of horse and rider. The figure is at the
Cairn site on the Piñon Canyon Hogback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
7.12 Two illustrations of a set of red-painted guns at the Red Guns site . . . . . . . .210
7.13 A drawing of the pecked horse and rider at the Red Guns site . . . . . . . . . . . .211
7.14 A small incised horse with standing rider at the Red Guns site . . . . . . . . . . .212
7.15 A ribstone on a detached fragment of the canyon wall at the Picnic site,
southeastern Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
8.1 Concentric circles and other branching motifs at the Philmont
Scout Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
8.2 Suspected Apache painted figures that are often confused with
Purgatoire Painted images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
L T
IST OF ABLES
1.1 High Plains Cultural Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1.2 High Plains Seriation Categories and Motifs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
1.3 Changes in Quadruped Attributes through Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
