In the past decade there has been a phenomenal growth of interest in the rock art of North America and the world. The Colorado Plateau of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico contains one of the largest and most diverse rock art concentrations anywhere on earth, and authors Malotki and Weaver of Northern Arizona University have produced an outstanding introduction to this fascinating work. Two hundred and seven rock art sites are presented through stunning photographs. Patricia McCreery has added splendidly detailed line drawings that greatly clarify many of the figures. The sites are arranged in more or less chronological order, which helps in understanding the development of the craft. An interpretation accompanies each of the panels, introducing the reader to current thinking about their meaning and historical context.
Authors Malotki and Weaver are two of the foremost authorities on American rock art, a scholarly discipline that has blossomed in the past decade. Rock art was once considered little more than graffiti. Some people sought to find written language in the drawings, but to no avail. A growing body of scholars is now convinced that Native American rock art was made to communicate with and conciliate the supernatural beings that directed their lives. It was largely produced by religious practitioners (shamans) to foster fertility, good health, prosperity, and power. The sites were usually remote and used over and over for centuries
Stone Chisel and Yucca Brush is an outstanding contribution to a growing understanding of this enigmatic art form, as well as a visual feast.
