Archaic Indian Art
Did you know that one of the largest bodies of prehistoric paintings in the world is in Texas? For thousands of years, the Archaic Indians of the Lower Pecos painted images on rock shelter walls. Some of these paintings are older than the great pyramids of Egypt.
A Different Kind of Art: Rock shelter
paintings are called art. So are the paintings and pictures
that hang on the walls of your
home and classroom. They are
not the same, however. Paintings by the Archaic Indians of the
Lower Pecos were more than decorations. When these early
people looked at
these paintings, they were reminded of important stories.
These stories may have been about the animals they hunted and the
animals that hunted them.
Early Texas Textbooks: The
paintings may have told stories about important events and people.
Just like you study th
e
lives of famous people and events in school, these paintings may
have been an early textbook used to teach young Archaic Indians.
For example, some of the paintings are upside- down images of warriors
with a dart in their bodies. These paintings are commonly
thought to be of warriors killed in battle and may have told a story
about the death of an enemy or that of a fellow warrior.
Sacred Images: What do you think of when you see a cross? The cross is the most important symbol in Christianity. The paintings on rock shelter walls may have been sacred images about holy beings and events. The paintings may have told about the flight of their shamans, or holy men, to the spirit world.
A shaman could change his human appearance to
that of an animal. Some of the paintings appear to be of
people who are
half human and half animal. Archeologists call these images
anthropomorphs.
The Archaic Indians of the Lower Pecos may have believed that their shamans, or holy men, could physically change into an animal. Paintings in some shelters show shamans with antlers. These holy men could take the form of a deer. Other paintings show shamans with ears like a rabbit or wings like a bird.
If these ancient artists were anything like Native Americans in the historic period, they believed that their art had power. This is a hard concept to understand for people who think of art as decorations. The power in one's art could protect one in battle. It could bring about a successful hunt. Art was a visual prayer that brought the power of a greater spirit into the art itself.
See Ancient Rock Art Today!
Many of the Lower Pecos paintings have disappeared, but many have survived. The best news is that you can see them today, and getting to them is an adventure you and your family will love. Click the link below to learn how you can enter ancient rock shelters and stand before their sacred art that has survived for thousands of years.
Copyright 2008