Sacred landscapes of the south-eastern USA: prehistoric rock and cave art in Tennessee

Simek, Jan F.; Cressler, Alan; Herrmann, Nicholas P.; Sherwood, Sarah C.

doi:10.1017/s0003598x00049048

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…A similar north-south duality is expressed in Dhegihan ritual processions, such as the Osage Wa-xo'-be ceremony in which initiates are inducted into the Osage priesthood (Bailey 1995;Sabo 2008; see also Barnes 1984 for discussion of a Chiwere Siouan version of this duality). The distribution of rock art discussed so briefly here extends this symbolism across an extensive landscape inhabited by one or more closely related, multi-village communities, whose residential sites are located in the adjacent Arkansas Valley lowlands (Sabo 2008, 283; see also Simek et al 2013 for somewhat different examples of cosmological landscapes expressed in rock art).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Sabo¹,

Hilliard

Walker

2015

CAJ

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Indian rock art is distributed across a portion of the east-flowing Arkansas RiverValley in a distinctive spatial pattern in which motifs and compositions referencing spirit world subject matter predominate along the north side of the river, in contrast to imagery depicting the observable world on the south. This pattern accords with cosmological components of the belief systems of Dhegiha Siouan-speaking tribes, as expressed in the spatial elements of other cultural phenomena, including village layouts and ritual choreographies, among such groups as the Osage and Quapaw, who occupied the region during later historic times. One sandstone prominence also located south of the river attracted the attention of Precolumbian artists, who decorated its exposed surfaces with an intriguing depiction of a mask, partly obscured by lichen, exhibiting the telltale eyes and other characteristics of the Mesoamerican rain god Tlaloc. Examination of this image, along with a second possible Mesoamerican-or Southwestern-inspired image located north of the river, serves to enlarge our understanding of the wider distributional pattern, especially on the topic of how local communities incorporated exotic ideas into the fabric of their cosmological landscapes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Sabo¹,

Hilliard

Walker

2015

CAJ

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“…Indeed, cave art is a unique feature of eastern North American prehistory. From the Late Archaic period (c. 6000 years ago) until historic times, Native Americans in the American Southeast used caves as sacred places (Simek et al 2013). Caves were considered to be pathways to the underworld, juxtaposed with pre-contact cultural landscapes and their large-scale, organised, sedentary communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Decorated caves represented the opposite: gateways to the worlds below (Simek et al 2018(Simek et al , 2021. We know that Native Americans modified their landscapes on very large scales in order to connect the living with the natural and supernatural worlds and to the varied elements of those worlds (Anderson 2013;Simek et al 2013). The large figures drawn in 19 th Unnamed Cave therefore probably represent spirits of the underworld, their power and importance expressed in their shape, size and context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering ancient cave art using 3D photogrammetry: pre-contact Native American mud glyphs from 19^thUnnamed Cave, Alabama

Simek

Alvarez²,

Cressler³

2022

Antiquity

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Since 1979, when the first cave art was documented in North America, dozens of other examples have come to light. Among these, 19th Unnamed Cave in Alabama contains hundreds of pre-contact Native American mud glyph drawings. In 2017, 3D modelling of the glyphs was initiated, ultimately enabling digital manipulation of the chamber space and revealing images that could not be perceived prior to modelling. Most surprisingly, the cave's ceiling features very large anthropomorphic glyphs that are not apparent in situ due to the tight confines of the cave. We argue that photogrammetry offers untapped potential for not simply the documentation but also the discovery of a variety of archaeological phenomena.

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“…Excellent examples of case studies challenging restricted interpretive paradigms can be found in the Midwest (Diaz-Granados et al 2015;Pedde and Prufer 2001;Stelle 2012;Wagner 2004), Southeast (Claassen 2009(Claassen , 2011Claassen and Compton 2011;Crothers 2012;Homsey-Messer 2015;Prufer and Prufer 2012;Sabo III et al 2012;Salzer and Rajnovich 2001;Simek et al 2012Simek et al , 2013, Southwest (Nicolay 2012), Mesoamerica (Heyden 2005;Moyes and Brady 2012;Rissolo 2005), and the Caribbean (Lace 2012).…”

Section: Overview Of Theoretical Framework In Cave and Rockshelter Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Woodland Period Rockshelter Use in the Upper Great Lakes: A Multiscalar Perspective from Grand Island, Michigan

Hanson¹

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Lakes region formed as sea caves during higher lake level stages and became increasingly terrestrial as lake levels receded, resulting in an abundance of rockshelters and other shoreline features that are now inland from the current shoreline. Recorded rockshelters in the region have contained human burials, copper caches, rock art, and varying amounts of lithics, ceramics, and fire-cracked rock. Additionally, a considerable amount of regional ethnohistoric accounts demonstrate the importance of rockshelters, especially those near water, as powerful transformative spaces that served as nodes between different realms of the Algonquin universe and homes to other-than-human entities, called manitous. Oral histories suggest that the power associated with these settings could be accessed through certain activities, such as fasting and producing rock art, imbuing individuals with knowledge and social capital (e.g. Copway 1850). Despite these compelling accounts, recorded examples of archaeological rockshelter use, and the relative abundance of rockshelters in the region, very few have been subjected to formal archaeological investigation.To address this disparity, archaeological testing of selected rockshelter locations on Grand Island was conducted under the direction of the Grand Island Archaeological Program in June of 2015 to assess the research potential of these features. Field work successfully identified two Woodland period rockshelter sites located on Grand Island's southern shore: Moss Cave (FS 09-10-03-1076) and Miner's Pit Cave (FS 09-10-03-1077). Rockshelter site use is examined based on analyses of artifact assemblages from these sites, including the results of lithic microwear analysis, macrobotanical analysis and AMS dating, and their respective geomorphic settings are investigated to interpret timing of rockshelter formation and availability. Using a multiscalar approach, these site-level patterns are articulated with contemporaneous habitation sites on Grand Island and similar rockshelter sites in the Upper Great Lakes to draw comparisons. Informed by a theoretical framework that seeks to accommodate the multiplicity and complexity of hunter-gatherer relationships with the landscape, and supported by ethnohistorical accounts, this research seeks to expand the interpretive potential of rockshelters in the Upper Great Lakes by arguing that they were likely considered places of ritual significance that provided a setting to communicate with manitous.

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Sacred landscapes of the south-eastern USA: prehistoric rock and cave art in Tennessee

Cited by 12 publications

References 10 publications

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Discovering ancient cave art using 3D photogrammetry: pre-contact Native American mud glyphs from 19^thUnnamed Cave, Alabama

Woodland Period Rockshelter Use in the Upper Great Lakes: A Multiscalar Perspective from Grand Island, Michigan

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Sacred landscapes of the south-eastern USA: prehistoric rock and cave art in Tennessee

Cited by 12 publications

References 10 publications

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Cosmological Landscapes and Exotic Gods: American Indian Rock Art in Arkansas

Discovering ancient cave art using 3D photogrammetry: pre-contact Native American mud glyphs from 19thUnnamed Cave, Alabama

Woodland Period Rockshelter Use in the Upper Great Lakes: A Multiscalar Perspective from Grand Island, Michigan

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Discovering ancient cave art using 3D photogrammetry: pre-contact Native American mud glyphs from 19^thUnnamed Cave, Alabama