Painted Bluff is a 400 foot high sandstone cliff on the Tennessee River in northern Alabama. It contains more than 130 paintings and engravings (pictographs) associated with the Mississippian culture and dating to around A.D. 1000 to 1500, although these dates are less than certain. The rock art is arrayed on three parallel vertical ledges and likely reflects the Mississippian view of the three-dimensional cosmos – Upper World, Middle World, and Lower World. It is perhaps the largest and most dramatic rock art site east of the Mississippi River.
In this outstanding contribution four archaeologists record, map and photograph the rock art. This report contains 113 color and 13 black and white photographs (mainly by photographer Alan Cressler), four maps, and eight tables. The research is organized into chapters on the historical background of the site, the geology and archaeology, methods of documentation, rock art stratigraphy, paint recipes, Tennessee Valley Authority management of the site, and graffiti removal.
Documentation and mapping of the site was a massive effort that required archaeologists and photographers to dangle from climbing ropes while manipulating bulky equipment. This effort resulted in a fully documented and spatially mapped site that became the basis for extensive interpretation. Removing and mitigating modern graffiti that had despoiled the art work over the years was particularly difficult as it often required bulky equipment and expert techniques.
The end results reveal the three worlds of the precontact Mississippians as well as other southeastern cultures. There is an Upper World in the sky featuring celestial bodies and weather forces, personified by animal, anthropomorphic, and transformational figures. The Middle World is composed of the natural world – humans, animals, plants. The Lower World is one of darkness and danger associated with death, transformation, and renewal.
The Cosmos Revealed is a richly detailed account of a state-of-the-art multi-faceted research project. The results are impressive as is this report which provides a readable and thought provoking account of the project. It is a very important contribution to rock art research.
