Rock Art Documentation on Twistflower Ranch as part of the Alexandria Project

Transcription

1 Rock Art Documentation on Twistflower Ranch as part of the Alexandria Project Report compiled for Mike McCloskey by October 2017 Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center P.O. Box 627, Comstock, Texas,

2 The following pages are a small report describing the rock art and associated features at Lost Canyon West Shelter. Additional SfM 3D models can be accessed online following these links: 41CX1019 SfM 3D Model Rock Art Shelter (password: McCloskey): 41CX1019 SfM 3D Model LDS Dstretch Enhancement (password: McCloskey): All original data is available upon request, including original photographs, recording forms, and GPS locations. 2

3 Site Name: Lost Canyon West Shelter Trinomial: 41CX1019 Site Type: Multicomponent site: Rockshelters with pictographs, groove marks, a spring, bedrock features and large lithic scatter on the mesa Rock Art Styles: Unknown Time Periods of Occupation: Undetermined Awaiting radiocarbon results Figure 1. View of the interior of Lost Canyon West Shelter looking east. The pictographs (not visible) are located on the shelter wall and ceiling. Site Description: Lost Canyon West Shelter is a rockshelter located at the head of a small drainage near the top of the bluff and is accessible from the uplands. An active spring with incised lines and three large mortar holes sits approximately 26 meters below the site, easily found by climbing down the drainage. Two additional rockshelters are found at this level: The west shelter containing the spring and the east shelter with shallow deposits that is used as an animal den. In addition to the rock shelters, there is a large lithic scatter, including chipped stone tools and point fragments, located on the mesa top near the ranch road above the shelters. 3

4 Figure 2. Front view of the lower rockshelter containing the spring. Off camera to the left is another larger shelter with shallow deposits and evidence of animals bedding down inside. Rock Art Description: There are two panels of rock art at this site. Panel 1 is the best preserved rock art are fine line black paintings on the lower portion of the shelter wall. The shelter also contains bits of dark red paint, as well as a less intense red paint areas found on the slanted ceiling. Most of the red paintings are remnants that can no longer be discerned except for a few long lines. The fine line black paintings consist of 4 concentric circle or spiral motifs/groupings, horizontal zig zag lines, and a line with V shapes along its length (plant or feather like). Some figures have scratch marks along the length of their lines as post painting modification. The fine line execution is reminiscent of Red Linear found in Val Verde county, but there are no characteristic anthropomorphs or zoomorphs or hunting scenes to make us suspect that this unknown style is related. 4

5 Figure 3. Panel 1 showing the location of the best preserved rock art figures (black box). A series of black fine line concentric circle and spirals surrounded by feather/leaf like designs and zig-zag lines. Bottom left image is Dstretch enhanced using YBK color channel.. 5

6 Panel 2 consists of approximately 12 deeply incised grooves located in the lower, west shelter near the active spring. A couple of large mortar holes are located near the mouth of the shelter containing the spring. Figure 4. Panel 2 groove marks with evidence of the spring on the far right of the photo. Research Potential: The site presents a moderate level of research potential. The small, fine line black paintings are the best surviving figures on the wall though the amount of red and black paint covering the ceiling portion of the wall is astonishing. Once the orthophotograph of the entire shelter wall was run through D-stretch, the faded red and black pigment on the back wall became more apparent. The rock art did not show any diagnostic attributes to help categorize the style. In September 2017, two paint samples were collected for radiocarbon dating along with two control samples of the shelter wall. The goal is to better understand when the rock art was created and how that fits into the regional pattern of rock art production. The rock art, in conjunction with the spring, nearby sites in the uplands, and other archaeological sites on the property presents great potential for understanding prehistoric land use on the Twistflower Ranch. 6