Rock Art of the Lower Pecos

Cognitive archeologist Dr. Carolyn Boyd, Executive Director and co-founder of the Shumla School, specializes in the analysis, interpretation, and reproduction of prehistoric art. In her first book, Rock Art of the Lower Pecos, Dr. Boyd presents exciting new information about some of the most impressive rock art in the world and the hunter-gatherers who produced it thousands of years ago in southwest Texas and northern Mexico. It was thought that the meaning of this ancient art was lost with the artists who produced it. However, thanks to research breakthroughs, these elaborate rock paintings are communicating a narrative that was inaccessible to humanity for millennia. Her work presents detailed information gleaned from the art regarding the nature of the lower Pecos cosmos, ritual practices involving the use of sacramental and medicinal plants, hunter-gatherer lifeways, and the function of the art within this prehistoric society. Both the art and the artist actively participated in creating, maintaining, and transforming social relations and religious identities. Rather than serving as a passive prop, the rock art of the lower Pecos performed work; it was a tool for survival.

Although prior archeological excavations in the region produced a rich collection of material culture, many questions regarding hunter-gatherer lifeways and belief systems remained unanswered. Archeologists either failed to recognize the contribution of rock art to the reconstruction of this prehistoric cultural system, or they recognized its value, but lacked the methods to access the information contained in the art. This book demonstrates that prehistoric art is not beyond explanation. Images from the past contain a vast corpus of data—accessible through proven, scientific methods—that can enrich our understanding of human lifeways in prehistory and, at the same time, expand our appreciation for the work of art in the present and the future.

Rock Art of the Lower Pecos is now available from The Shumla School. To puchase a copy, call 432-292-4848 or E-mail info@shumla.org. Payment can be made with any major credit card or by check. Cost of the book is $45.00 plus $5.00 shipping and $3.38 sales tax for a total of $53.38. If purchased in person the cost of the book is $45.00 plus $3.04 sales tax for a total of $48.04. A portion of the price of each book goes into the endowment fund for The Shumla School.