Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America
Cambridge Archaeological Journal April 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1017/s0959774300000494 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnographic review and analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Citations | 79 |
| Key findings | Argues that ethnographic data indicate only two origins for late prehistoric and historical parietal art in far western North America: production by shamans and production by initiates in ritual cults. In both cases, the artists apparently depicted culturally conditioned visions or hallucinations experienced during altered states of consciousness, as illustrated by the symbolism of sites Tulare-19 and Ventura-195. |
Abstract
Ethnographic data on the production of rock art in far western North America - the historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin - are reviewed and analyzed to identify widespread patterns in the origin and, in certain cases, symbolism of the late prehistoric/historical parietal art of this region. These data, collected in the first few decades of this century by a variety of ethnographers, suggest only two origins for the art: production by shamans; and production by initiates in ritual cults. In both instances, the artists were apparently depicting the culturally-conditioned visions or hallucinations they experienced during altered states of consciousness. The symbolism of two sites, Tulare-19 and Ventura-195, is considered in more detail to demonstrate how beliefs about the supernatural world, and the shaman's relationship to this realm, were graphically portrayed.