Midwest Native American Rock art

[hunter63]

Just thought I would share this.....but sadly there does not seem to be any interest by young people.
I guess we have to get old to appreciate "old stuff"...LOL

Kenosha County Archeological Society had its Christmas Extravaganza Meeting was last Saturday....(means everyone brings treats)
We had a speaker, an archaeologist from Lacrosse, WI.....Robert F. Boszhardt

Wrote a book on Upper Midwest Native American Rock art...."Hidden Thunder: Rock Art of the Upper Midwest"
https://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book....=9780870207679

This was of interest to me as growing up in central Wisconsin....I was familiar with a few sites.
One in particular was Roche-A-Cri State Park/ Campground...where we had family picnic's..
Was covered in his book......

Can't see much....From this pic.....but this is open to the public...many are not open, and locations are kept secret... as people had destroyed or even tried to steal parts of it.

Is on a "mound" (What we call them).....that dot the area, left over islands, in the glacial lake bed that was not flattened out the last glacial
(climbed many of these as a your man on "campouts" and various adventures)

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Looking for pic's that were presented...but maybe had a copywrite on them?

Was pretty interesting ...as some were showing several people with bow an arrow and long horned bison....which means are only know for 700 years old in North America.

Example of water color art paintings that are similar to the petroglyphs by Geri Schrab the illustrator on the book.

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Called "Making Things Grow"

http://www.gerischrab.com/

Still think the "Red Bird" petroglyphs carving looked like a "Star People"......Ancient Aliens......LOL

[WY21lmb]

Fascinating subject. You may be correct in mostly the old appreciating the old.
In my opinion “Rock Art” is misleading. Artistic ability was involved undoubtedly, but are for art’s sake unlikely. In my opinion it was a means of conveying a message. I have not had a lot of time to devote to the subject but my opinion has been heavily influenced by the following article and book.
The Secrets of the White Shaman by Will Hunt in May 2012 Discover page 50-56.
The Rocks Begin to Speak by Lavan-Martineau - KC Publications, Inc.; 4th edition (June 1, 1976).

[hunter63]

That's interesting....I sure telling a story as an early form of writing....to tell a story....

One theory was brought up that we discussed.....Pictured were of main characters ....that take many journeys and adventures.

I can see the shaman gather his tribe,....in front of these rock and cave painting...lighting up a fire, for effect....then passing around what ever sprit/or other mind altering substance....(everyone had "something".....even if it was starvation or pain) ...and saying.....
"Tonight we are going to the ancestors to ask for a great harvest".....
And in front of the same pic's...
"Remember, next week is Red Birds wedding..."

Kind of a backdrop for story telling over 100's of years....

Or could have been just "For a good time call...."

"

[Rick]

That two headed guy in the back. Spooky. I'll bet there was weird music playing when they drew that. Weird music is always a give away that something bad is going to happen.

I've visited so many sites over the years. Mound builders in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. There is an archaeological dig every summer about four miles from me. Have to venture over there to see what they find. They uncovered a full dugout canoe. Who buries a canoe? Native American cache? (shrug)

[madmax]

Dad took us to Cahokia Mounds and Southern IL rocks where there are some petrgglyphs or petrographs (Not sure which loooong time ago) when I was young. I guess times have changed. I stood there with my mouth open at both places trying to grasp the time past and wondering what they were like.

[kyratshooter]

I know what that first picture is saying.

"Cave to the left. Enough room for your wife, kid and the two headed/bipolar MIL."

[hunter63]

Y'all have to go thru Geri Schrab's gallery.....

Lots of "water color paintings"....not photographs......
She can resurrect the general idea of the partially destroyed painting and carvings ...in a sort of an artistic "read between the lines" rendering.
A way to preserve the 1000s of years old art.

[WolfVanZandt]

I remember my dad saying, "I know that kids don't like to go to school but they just have to." How can we expect children to enjoy learning when so much of our culture tells them that they're not supposed to?

I've always enjoyed learning. I enjoyed learning new things in school (there was just so much mind numbingly boring stuff being taught by mind numbingly boring teachers) and I grew up with science kits. My "life-long learning kick" is nothing new.

There is a small wedge of igneous rock (read that as "mineral collecting country") that intrudes into Alabama. Everything else is fossils and artifacts so those are the primary interests of collectors where I grew up. A friend and I were walking down the center of Fairfax, Alabama one day talking about our luck in finding (in my case) mineral samples and (in his case) arrow heads when he stopped, looked down, and said, "There's one now," and he reached down and picked up a beautiful point. I don't consider myself a "nerd". I liked the hills too much. But most of my friends enjoyed learning. Maybe I'm an econerd.

[hunter63]

I remember my dad saying, "I know that kids don't like to go to school but they just have to." How can we expect children to enjoy learning when so much of our culture tells them that they're not supposed to?

I've always enjoyed learning. I enjoyed learning new things in school (there was just so much mind numbingly boring stuff being taught by mind numbingly boring teachers) and I grew up with science kits. My "life-long learning kick" is nothing new.

There is a small wedge of igneous rock (read that as "mineral collecting country") that intrudes into Alabama. Everything else is fossils and artifacts so those are the primary interests of collectors where I grew up. A friend and I were walking down the center of Fairfax, Alabama one day talking about our luck in finding (in my case) mineral samples and (in his case) arrow heads when he stopped, looked down, and said, "There's one now," and he reached down and picked up a beautiful point. I don't consider myself a "nerd". I liked the hills too much. But most of my friends enjoyed learning. Maybe I'm an econerd.

I'm pretty much in that category as well....I am attracted to this stuff ....after finding a point on a walk with my father in a dry lake bed was maybe 6 -7 years old......before Castle Rock Lake in Wisconsin was formed by damming up the Wisconsin River.
Was hooked.....
Saw a notice in the paper about the local Arch Society ....so got back into it.

That two headed guy in the back. Spooky. I'll bet there was weird music playing when they drew that. Weird music is always a give away that something bad is going to happen.

I've visited so many sites over the years. Mound builders in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. There is an archaeological dig every summer about four miles from me. Have to venture over there to see what they find. They uncovered a full dugout canoe. Who buries a canoe? Native American cache? (shrug)

Be careful.... they like volunteers as grunts....but was kinda funny as the "diggers" were all the old people....bad knees, fused backs. heart problems,..... while the students, 20's something.... "experts"...were taking notes and directing traffic...
What is wrong with that picture?

It is fun though......

[crashdive123]

Cool stuff, and it keeps us "seasoned" citizens off the streets at night.

[Willie]

My wife and I Love going to see these. Been to a few and never disappointed. It's a shame that people try to destroy our history by vandalism.