A full and complete introduction to the study of southwest American rock art. The author, who is not an 'expert', presents a well written, entertaining discourse on all the facets, theories, controversies and problems associated with rock art research. This book is eminently suitable for the novitiate, and a useful review for professionals to maintain their perspective. The second half of the book is divided into sections briefly summarizing the rock art found within the various National Monuments, National Parks, and areas of the southwestern United States. Each summary is written by a different author, who is knowledgable about their own particular area. Numerous photographs and a table detailing site accessibility create a useful field guide when visiting these areas.

Table of Contents

Introduction
• The Land and Its People
• The History of Rock Art Study
• This Book

Rock Art Literature
• Early Reports
• The Twentieth Century
• Serious Study

Definitions
• Defining Basic Terms
• Problems with Semantics

Locations
• Why Rock as a Medium?
• General Locations
• Specific Locations
• Puzzling Locations
• Implications from Locations

Subject Matter
• What Are They?
• Some Assumptions
• A Few Inferences

The Artists
• Artists or Craftsmen?
• Which Culture?
• What Individuals?
• Some Generalizations

Application Techniques
• Introduction
• Petroglyphs
• Pictographs
• Technique Study

Dating
• The Problem
• Dating by Inference
• Relative Dating
• Limited Solutions

Styles
• The Controversy
• What Are Styles?
• An Assumption
• Individuality
• The Bottom Line

Interpretation
• Questions and Answers
• Meanings and Uses
• How Can We Know?
• Some Good Possibilities
• Some Low Probabilities
• Aesthetics?
• Summary

Destruction and Protection
• The Big Picture
• Natural Losses
• Human Destruction
• Legal Protection
• Do the Laws Work?
• Other Protection
• Salvage Archaeology
• Restoration
• Prognosis

Recording Techniques
• Types of Techniques
• Sample Methods
• Photography
• Supplementary Data

Protected Rock Art Sites
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Utah

Special Rock Art Areas
• Albuquerque and Santa Fe Area
• Arches National Park
• Bandelier National Monument Area
• Canyon de Chelly National Monument
• Canyonlands National Park - Maze Area
• Canyonlands National Park - Needles Area
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Central Utah Area
• Chaco Canyon Area
• Desolation-Gray Canyon of the Green River
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Grand Gulch Primitive Area
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Indian Creek Canyon
• Moab Area
• Petrified Forest National Park
• San Juan River Gorge
• Three Rivers Area
• Uintah Basin Area
• West-Central Colorado Area
• Zuni-Cibola Area
• Miscellaneous Areas
• Anasazi Celestial Rock Art

Bibliography