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Landscape of the Spirits: Hohokam Rock Art at South Mountain Park
High above the noise and traffic of metropolitan Phoenix, Native American rock art offers mute testimony that another civilization once thrived in the Arizona desert. In the city's South Mountains, prehispanic peoples pecked thousands of images into the mountains' boulders and outcroppings—images that today's hikers can encounter with every bend in the trail.
Todd Bostwick, an archaeologist who has studied the Hohokam for more than twenty years, and Peter Krocek, a professional photographer with a passion for archaeology, have combed the South Mountains to locate nearly all of the ancient petroglyphs found in the canyons and ridges. Their years of learning the landscape and investigating the ancient designs have resulted in a book that explores this wealth of prehistoric rock art within its natural and cultural contexts, revealing what these carvings might mean, how they got there, and when they were made.
Landscape of the Spirits is the first book to cover these ancient images and is one of the most comprehensive treatments of a rock art location ever published. It conveys the range of different rock art elements and compositions found in the South Mountains—animals, humans, and geometric shapes, as well as celestial and calendrical markings at key sites—through accurate descriptions, drawings, and photographs. Interpretations of the petroglyphs are based on Native American ethnographic accounts and consider the most recent theories concerning shamanism and archaeoastronomy.
Written in a simple and accessible style, Landscape of the Spirits is an indispensable volume for anyone exploring the South Mountains, and for rock art enthusiasts everywhere who wish to broaden their understanding of the prehistoric world. It is both an authoritative overview of these ancient wonders and an unprecedented benchmark in southwestern rock art research at a single geographic location.
Todd Bostwick, an archaeologist who has studied the Hohokam for more than twenty years, and Peter Krocek, a professional photographer with a passion for archaeology, have combed the South Mountains to locate nearly all of the ancient petroglyphs found in the canyons and ridges. Their years of learning the landscape and investigating the ancient designs have resulted in a book that explores this wealth of prehistoric rock art within its natural and cultural contexts, revealing what these carvings might mean, how they got there, and when they were made.
Landscape of the Spirits is the first book to cover these ancient images and is one of the most comprehensive treatments of a rock art location ever published. It conveys the range of different rock art elements and compositions found in the South Mountains—animals, humans, and geometric shapes, as well as celestial and calendrical markings at key sites—through accurate descriptions, drawings, and photographs. Interpretations of the petroglyphs are based on Native American ethnographic accounts and consider the most recent theories concerning shamanism and archaeoastronomy.
Written in a simple and accessible style, Landscape of the Spirits is an indispensable volume for anyone exploring the South Mountains, and for rock art enthusiasts everywhere who wish to broaden their understanding of the prehistoric world. It is both an authoritative overview of these ancient wonders and an unprecedented benchmark in southwestern rock art research at a single geographic location.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
About the author
Todd W. Bostwick
18 books2 followersAn archaeologist by training, Todd Bostwick crossed disciplinary lines when he was awarded a Ph.D. in history at Arizona State University. Serving as the Phoenix city archaeologist stationed at Pueblo Grande Museum, Bostwick formed the most comprehensive city archaeology program in the country. This program helped to recover information from sites that would have otherwise been destroyed by construction. Having a fascination for rock art, Bostwick was a pioneer in the recording and research into Hohokam rock art, an endeavor that resulted in his book Landscape of the Spirits, a study of rock art in South Mountain Park. He brought the study of rock art into main stream Hohokam archaeology. As an historian he has published books on the life and careers of several prominent archaeologists. A frequent speaker at meetings and events, Todd also focused on educating the public on local archaeology. Now retired from the city of Phoenix, Dr. Bostwick currently serves as the executive director of the Verde Valley Archaeological Center.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 18, 2017
An outstanding book on the thousands of rock art images on numerous panels in the South Mountain Park near Phoenix. Great photos and illustrations. A really insightful book. I need it for my own personal library.
January 5, 2016
Way too dry. Interpretations were sketchy at best. I was disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews