For your enjoyment, I’m back with some more prehistoric petroglyphs from Zuni Pueblo in west central New Mexico. As I mentioned in this post there are some beautiful examples of rock art from an area near the northern edge of the reservation. I have always liked this cliff face which has a variety of geometrics, …
Author: Reid Farmer
Zuni Rock Art Blogging
Steve and Matt love birds (as do I!) and I have been wanting to share one of my favorite petroglyphs – the owl seen above – with them for some time. This petroglyph is located near Zuni Pueblo in west-central New Mexico and is in a cluster of panels of prehistoric petroglyphs and very striking …
Meth Addicts and Site Looting
Steve pointed out this strange item to me which confirmed a story that my sister told me she’d seen in the Jonesboro (AR) Sun. It seems that methamphetamine addicts in Arkansas have taken to collecting arrowheads and other Indian artifacts. Walking around in fields looking for artifacts fills their need for activity while they are …
Condors in Prehistoric California
After Steve’s post on possible late condor presence on the Northern Plains, I had to jump in with something on their importance to Native Americans in California. Condors featured in the religion of virtually every known tribe in the state, but I will talk mostly about the Chumash here in Southern California with which I …
Wind Energy and Environmental Ambivalence
Electric generation by wind turbines is one of those progressive environmental measures that everyone likes in theory, but that most have second thoughts on once the issue of how many and where to put them comes up. My musings on this are prompted by an LA Times article today describing objections that locals have to …
The Pristine Myth
Charles Mann, whose recent book 1491 was discussed in an earlier post, had this interesting op-ed in yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor. In it he takes on, as he does in his book, the popular misconception that prior to European contact, Native Americans lived in harmony with nature in a pristine eden. He quickly marshalls facts …
Hurricane Katrina and this Blog
Here at the Querencia Blog we are as horrified as the rest of the world at the death and destruction brought to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. This post is to let you know that we three contributors have a special interest in those events. Matt is the one up to …
The Newest Indians, DNA, the Black Cherokee, and the Trail of Tears
It’s becoming popular to be an Indian. There are substantial numbers of people in our country who have at least partial Native American ancestry who have never acknowledged this part of their heritage as it was of no benefit to them. The historical record shows how badly this country has treated Indians, so for many …
Captain Sir Richard F. Burton
I discovered Steve and I share a fascination with Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) when he put Burton on a list of “Good Things from Britain #5” in solidarity with the UK after the 7/7 terror bombings. Those of you who are not familiar with the life of this explorer, linguist, soldier, diplomat, travel writer, anthropologist, …
Cannibalism in the Prehistoric Southwest
Steve’s post below on PC Reburial alludes to a controversial subject – evidence of prehistoric cannibalism in Anasazi (Ancestral Pueblo) sites of the Southwest. I thought I’d say more about it as it’s a subject I have followed since graduate school, when two colleagues of mine, Larry Nordby and Paul Nickens, excavated (Larry) and analyzed …