Indian Petroglyphs of the Pacific Northwest

This work is an attempt to integrate a popular and scholarly perspective on petroglyphs, rock paintings and rock carvings, of North American Indians, espcially those of the Pacific Northwest. The book is orgnized into a discussin of "problems," i.e., understanding the subjective meaning of petroglyphs, protecting them from vandalism and theft, and the need for comprehensive survey. The autors suggest ceremonial, subsistence and artistic purposes as the bases for petroglyphs, and focus on the relationship to Shamanism of many petrophyphs. A detailed description and numerous black and white photographs of significant petroglyphs are presented, and 172 pages are taken up with hundreds of such descriptions. A discussion of Southeast Alaskan (primarily Tlingit) petroglyphs is introduced and theories presented relating these to other Northwest Coast work and also to Eskimoid work. Overall, the detail which is presented is extremely satisfying! -- A.E.Hippley, American Indian Quarterly